The House of Representatives Committee on Health, Monday vowed to ensure adequate funding for the nation’s health sector to meet the healthcare service delivery of Nigerians.
Deputy chairman, House Committee on Health Institutions, Dr. Martin Oke, made this known when he led other members of the team on an oversight function to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) and National Orthopedic Hospital Kano to inspect facilities and appraise the 2019/2020 budget performance.
He said the COVID-19 had exposed the weakness in the nation’s health system hence the need to fix the system to meet the challenges and demands of the citizens.
The lawmaker maintained that the COVID-19 pandemic experience informed the oversight of the committee to the 80 federal health facilities which will enable it to make meaningful inputs during the appropriation exercise when President Muhammadu Buhari presents the 2020/2021 budget to the National Assembly.
According to him, “COVID-19 has exposed the weaknesses in the health system of Nigeria and that is why we are visiting the 80 federal hospitals. We shouldn’t just sit down in Abuja to legislate, to work on appropriation.
“We felt that with the six months of COVID-19, it is necessary for us to visit the hospitals to know the performance of budget 2019/2020 so that by the time Mr. President comes to the National Assembly with his 2020/2021 budget, we would be in better position to understand what has happened to the 2019/2020 budget and juxtapose the 2020/2021 budget.
“We have come and seen that this (AKTH) is one of the biggest hospital in North West and has a catchment area that extends even beyond Nigeria. We need to know what they are generating yearly, what they need from the Federal Government (work force and support) and to know what we can do to give them a special status and strength to carry on with the challenges in the health sector.
“At the National Orthopedic Hospital, NOH, we have seen some projects that came under the 2019/2020 budget especially the Spine Center and the new theatre accommodating eight theatres to support the theater and the hospital. We are impressed with what we have seen and we need more facilities to be constructed to fill the space available in the hospital.
Earlier, the Chief Medical Director, AKTH, Prof. Ahmad Sheshe said it has three projects in the hospital abandoned for over 20 years namely 40 flats for resident doctors, 40 flats for nurses and school complex while expressing optimism with the visit of the committee which he said have visited the projects and promised to make them a reality.
On his part, the Chief Medical Director, CMD, National Orthopedic Hospital, Dala, Dr. Muhammad Salihu said the covid-19 exposed the weaknesses in the healthcare service delivery of the country and that which points to the need to fix them.
