Reps ask FG to declare emergency on Abuja healthcare system

The house of representatives has asked the federal government to declare a state of emergency on the healthcare system in the federal capital territory (FCT).

The house urged the ministry of health to collaborate with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to urgently assess the condition of health facilities in the nation’s capital and identify areas in need of expansion and upgrade.

The lower legislative chamber passed the resolution during plenary on Wednesday, following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Nnamdi Ezechi, a lawmaker from Delta state.

Ezechi said government hospitals in the FCT are “severely overstretched” with a critical shortage of bed spaces and medical personnel.

The lawmaker said the FCT’s population has grown significantly over the past two decades, while many government hospitals, built years ago, have seen slight expansion to meet the rising demand for medical care.

“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 said.

He said insufficient medical personnel, including doctors and nurses, affect the quality of care patients receive.

Ezechi said if immediate interventions are not made, the healthcare crisis may escalate to “unmanageable” levels, undermining the right to health and threatening the well-being of residents in the nation’s capital.

He called for a “strategic” review and upgrade of health infrastructure in the FCT and a comprehensive recruitment drive for medical workers.

The motion was unanimously adopted when it was put to a vote by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house.

The house subsequently resolved to set up an ad-hoc committee to conduct a “comprehensive investigation” into the current state of healthcare facilities in the FCT and present a report within four weeks for further action.

Similarly, the house also called on the ministry of health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to contain the outbreak of cholera outbreak in Badagry, Lagos state.

The resolution of the house was sequel to a motion moved by Sesi Whingan.

The lawmakers asked the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide sanitary materials, water purification tablets, and disinfectants to affected communities.