Reps will support privatisation of Nigeria’s teaching hospitals – Lawmaker

A member of the House of Representatives says the House will support the campaign for the privatisation and commercialisation of the federal teaching hospitals, to enhance efficiency and better healthcare delivery.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Amos Magaji, who represents Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, disclosed this to journalists on Saturday evening, after the committee’s oversight visit to Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria.

Mr Magaji said the House of Representatives would support the initiative to strengthen service delivery, adding that the federal government should also take a critical look into health insurance, and increase its capitation before venturing into such a project.

He added that the health insurance should capture senior citizens aged 70 years and above into the scheme because, with good capitation from health insurance, people will be able to pay their bills when the hospitals are commercialised.

“At the moment, there is a huge burden of out-of-pocket expenses on health, and so if you privatise or commercialise the National Teaching Hospital, it is similar to giving Nigerians death sentences,’’ Mr Magaji said.

The chairman said governance was for the people, and as such, government policies should have a human face and align with the people’s aspirations.

On the visit to ABUTH, Mr Magaji expressed the committee’s dissatisfaction over the number of personnel of the hospital, noting that the prestigious tertiary health facility with a 1000-bed capacity, should have adequate workers to man the facility.

The chairman pledged the committee’s commitment to tackling all grey areas in the health sector in the overall interest of all Nigerians.

“The oversight visit to the hospital was not to find fault or witch-hunt anybody, but to assist the facility in its business of delivering quality and affordable healthcare services to Nigerians.

Earlier, the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Hamid Umdagas, told the committee that the dearth of manpower and electricity supply were the major challenges of the hospital.

Mr Umdagas said that the hospital, which had six satellite stations and 40 clinical and non-clinical departments, was barely managing with only 2,805 personnel as of June 27.

According to him, the “Japa’’ syndrome was hitting hard on the facility’s human resources, as some of its health personnel simply disappeared, while a few had retired.

(NAN)