Flood: Reps call for special intervention to save University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital

The House of Representatives has called on the federal government to intervene to address the damage done to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital by the recent flood that occurred in Borno State.

This resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Amos Magaji (PDP, Kaduna) on Wednesday during plenary.

Some weeks ago, floods ravaged Maiduguri and other parts of Borno State. The severe flooding in Maiduguri, the state capital, was triggered by the collapse of the Alau Dam — the city’s main water source.

The hospital and several other structures in the state were severely affected by the flood.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that medical equipment in the multimillion-dollar Radiotherapy Department was submerged, causing damage to expensive state-of-the-art equipment, including two Elekta Linear Accelerators, two Brachytherapy machines, and a Canon Large Bore CT Simulator.

Presenting the motion on the floor, Mr Magaji said the hospital was significantly damaged, with its equipment badly affected.

He also said the flood had disrupted the power supply to the hospital.

“The renowned Cancer Centre in the facility, which is lauded as one of the largest in the country, was submerged in the flood, thereby damaging all high-end equipment in the centre. Wards at the lower levels of the facility were also severely flooded, destroying medical and administrative records, files, and many other items.

“Electricity supply in the facility has collapsed due to precautions taken to avoid electrocution, as transformers and other power sources were also submerged in the flood,” he said.

He warned that without urgent intervention to address the damage to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, the people of Borno State are at great risk of disease outbreaks following the flood.

Speaking on the motion, Satomi Ahmad (APC, Borno), who represents Jere Federal Constituency of Borno, described the flood as a “global catastrophe”.

“What happened in Maiduguri is a global catastrophe,” Mr Ahmad said.

Contributing to the motion, Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau) called on all government agencies to address the gaps in humanitarian interventions.

In an amendment to the motion, Chinedu Ogah raised concerns about the escape of prisoners from correctional facilities in the state. He urged that these facilities should be rehabilitated as soon as possible.

Inuwa Garba, a member from Gombe State, requested that the federal government allocate N300 billion as an intervention fund to mitigate the impact of the disaster. However, he was cautioned by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen to avoid specifying a figure and to keep the request open.

Consequently, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Power to promptly restore electricity to the hospital and take further measures to mitigate the disaster.

It also directed all relevant sectors to ensure that medical equipment and infrastructure in Nigerian tertiary hospitals are adequately insured.

Additionally, the House mandated its Committees on Health Institutions, Power, Renewable Energy, Insurance and Actuarial Matters, and Legislative Compliance to ensure strict adherence to these resolutions.

Members voted in support of the motion when it was put to vote by the speaker.