The House of Representatives has called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency in the healthcare system of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
It added that the federal government must also ensure that emergency funds are released for the upgrade of hospitals, recruitment of medical personnel, and acquisition of critical medical equipment.
The Green Chamber called on the Federal Ministry of Health and the FCT Administration to immediately assess the state of health facilities in the nation’s capital with the aim of identifying critical areas for expansion, upgrade, and resource allocation.
The House further resolved to constitute an ad-hoc committee to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the current state of healthcare facilities in the FCT and submit a report within four weeks with recommendations for improvement
It also urged the federal government to design a long-term healthcare infrastructure development plan that aligns with the growing population of the FCT, ensuring sustainable and quality healthcare delivery.
The resolutions of the House were sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored at the plenary on Wednesday by Hon. Nnamdi Ezechi.
Moving the motion, the lawmaker decried the alarming strain on the healthcare system in the FCT, with government hospitals and medical facilities being severely overstretched, resulting in a critical shortage of bed spaces and medical personnel.
The lawmaker noted that the population of the FCT has surged significantly over the past two decades, while many of the existing government hospitals were constructed several years ago, with little or no expansion to match the growing demand for healthcare services;
Exechi stressed that patients in need of critical medical attention are often left unattended or subjected to long waiting hours due to the unavailability of hospital beds and limited capacity of existing facilities, leading to preventable loss of lives daily.
He expressed worry that the lack of sufficient medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers, further exacerbates the crisis, reducing the quality of care and increasing the burden on the few available staff.
Exechi expressed concern that if immediate interventions are not made, the healthcare crisis might escalate to unmanageable levels, undermining the right to health and threatening the well-being of residents in the nation’s capital.
He, however, expressed optimism that a strategic review and upgrade of health infrastructure in the FCT, along with a comprehensive recruitment drive for medical professionals, will address the urgent needs and ensure better health outcomes;
The House called on the, “Federal government to declare a state of emergency in the healthcare system of the FCT, ensuring that emergency funds are released for the upgrade of hospitals, recruitment of medical personnel, and acquisition of critical medical equipment.”