FMC NGURU: We’re committed to making Nigeria a health tourism destination – Reps committee chairman

By Mohammed Kaka

Honorable Amos Magaji, the Chairman, of Nigeria’s House of Representatives Committee on Health has disclosed that the lower chamber of the National Assembly is making an effort to ensure that the country becomes a health tourism destination.

Magaji stated this when he led members of his committee on an oversight function to Federal Medical Center Nguru, Yobe state. He explained that they were at the institution to ascertain the level of budget performance and how funds released were utilized.

“We are here as part of our constitutional mandate of Legislative oversight function to check on the issue of budgetary allocation and to see if it was well utilized. We also sat with the Management and staff of the hospital. We gave them some encouragement and listened to some of their challenges,” said the lawmaker.

“About a week ago, a state of emergency was declared on health to ensure that all our hospitals are made up to standard so that Nigerians will no longer travel outside the country for health care services but instead, make use of the various hospitals across the country”, Hon. Magaji further explained.

He said that the federal medical centre in Nguru is strategically located such that people from neighbouring countries would patronize it.

The House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Health expressed the readiness of his committee to ensure that FMC Nguru receives all the necessary support from the federal government to make it function effectively.

According to him, a meeting with the Management and workers union made the committee realize that part of the major problem of the hospital is the issue of electricity and some abandoned projects.

He said, “We’ve asked the MD to forward to us any project that has been abandoned in the institution to enable the committee to identify the level of intervention it can give to the hospital”.

Hon Magaji said that the committee also discussed the issue of the replacement of health workers who have left the hospital and the country.

According to him, to address issues of power in the hospital, renewable energy is the way forward, adding that with the availability of abundant sunlight in Nguru, solar can provide complete electricity for the institution.

“But it’s a matter of cost, so we will look at all these things to arrive at how we can address the issue of power”, he assured.

Speaking earlier, the Medical Director (MD) of the Centre, Prof Hadiza Usman, appreciated the committee for the visit.

Professor Hadiza who noted that the visit is a clear indication that the Federal Government is ready to bring positive changes in the health sector appealed for a final solution to the lack of energy (power) not only at FMC Nguru but across all tertiary health institutions in the country.

“We have the same problem except that our own in Nguru is worse because of low internal revenue generation. We really need a solution to our problem of power. She said it would be a great delight to have a solar power generation station in FMC Nguru.