TheCable

The house of representatives has asked the federal government to set up medical facilities at all airports in the country. 

During plenary session on Thursday, the federal lawmakers said such clinics will enable medical personnel to treat sick passengers and vaccinate those who may be “travelling to countries that are susceptible to pandemics such as COVID-19 or Ebola”.

The lower legislative chamber passed the resolution, following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Emeka Chinedu, a lawmaker from Imo state.

While leading the debate on the motion, Chinedu cited a report by the Ports Health Services, noting that airports in the country are supposed to have medical centres.

He said five airports in the country — Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Kano and Abuja — are presently “operating with either deplorable, little or no medical facilities”, while the others are without one.

Chinedu said the deaths of one Chukwuma Eze, a 47-year-old traveller, at the Murtala Mohammed international airport, Lagos, in December 2019 and Jude Oladapo in October 2019 at the international wing of the same airport, “may be attributed to inadequacies in healthcare and medical attention” at the airports.

The lawmaker noted that “the establishment of well-equipped health facilities in airports with corresponding engagement of medical professionals who, will in no small measure, tackle issues of healthcare emergencies at the country’s airports”.

“Having the option of such medical convenience and affordable healthcare in all Nigerian airports would bestow confidence in the country’s system by people who may want to engage in one business or the other at the airport,” he said.

“Despite the initial designation for full packaged medical facilities, the airports are yet to go beyond the ordinary first aid, as a solution for healthcare and emergencies.

“The absence of substantially equipped medical clinics and medical practitioners in airports may be a recipe for more avoidable deaths at the airports, thereby eroding travellers’ confidence and jeopardising Nigeria’s chances of commensurate interaction with the global world.”

The motion was unanimously voted and adopted after it was put to a voice vote by Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house.

The green chamber asked the federal ministry of aviation to partner with the federal ministry of health to “establish well-equipped medical clinics at all the nation’s airports”.

The house also mandated its committees on aviation and health institutions to ensure compliance.