House Panel Reaffirms Government's Pledge to Boost Healthcare Sector

Hon. Patrick Umoh, the Chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions, has reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s dedication to enhancing healthcare services for Nigerians.

Umoh made this disclosure during an oversight visit to the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan with members of the committee. He emphasized that President Bola Tinubu’s dedication to healthcare can be observed through the budget allocations for health and initiatives aimed at improving facilities within Nigeria’s hospitals slated for 2025.

He stated, "Our committee’s primary responsibility is to supervise this leading hospital. This includes assessing the 2024 budget performance index, reviewing projected figures for 2025, analyzing how well the facility has performed over recent years, and determining prospects for the hospital moving forward."

We will head to the OPD departmental area and also visit patients to assure them that providing healthcare for the populace is the aim of the government. We are living in quite a difficult era where the JAPA syndrome seems to be predominant.

However, we trust the capabilities of our nation’s healthcare system, and we believe that under President Ahmed Tinubu's dedication, significant improvements will be made within the health industry. He has invested considerable resources into the 2025 budget allocations and various initiatives aimed at enhancing services provided at hospitals, ensuring superior medical care for all citizens.

The University College Hospital (UCH) Chief Medical Director (CMD), Professor Jesse Otegbayo, stated that the hospital faces several challenges, including the necessity to obtain additional medical equipment and hire more personnel to deliver top-notch care and effectively fulfill its primary responsibilities: providing clinical services, conducting research, and offering training.

Otegbayo expressed gratitude to the committee for their visit and assured them that the hospital will keep striving to fulfill its responsibilities to the best of its ability.

"They have requested us to compile a summary of our requirements and send it along, so I am pleased that some positive outcomes may result from this visit," Otegbayo stated.

Previously, Professor John Oyeniyi, who leads Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital as CMD, pointed out several key issues plaguing the facility: inadequate power supply, deteriorating infrastructure, and difficulties with staff recruitment due to benefit limitations.

We urgently require staffing support, with the top priority being the availability of power. Our facility falls under category A, which comes at an enormous cost. Covering the debt repayments and fluctuating monthly charges ranging between ₦60 million and ₦80 million poses a significant challenge.

We have transitioned our streetlights and various amenities to run on solar power, reducing reliance on the national grid—a sustainable approach. However, this shift is quite costly both initially and for maintenance. Therefore, we require external assistance to implement solar solutions since internal funds are insufficient.

SEE ALSO: Do we really need health supplements?

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. Syndigate.info ).