By Our Correspondent
The National Assembly has reaffirmed its commitment to work hand in hand with the executive arm to reposition the healthcare sector and reduce medical tourism in the country.
Chairman House Committee on Health House of Representatives, Mr. Emos Gwamna Magaji disclosed this during an oversight visit to Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina, said the visit is in line with the constitutional mandate of the National Assembly to oversee the process and condition of health institutions in the country.
He pointed out that the National Assembly is particularly concerned about increasing investment and repositioning the health sector to attract well-to-do individuals in society to patronize local health institutions.
Mr. Emos Magaji added that the committee will intervene and consult the Federal Ministry of Health and other donors to ensure the completion of ongoing projects and effective service delivery.
While appreciating the commitment of the Teaching Hospital, the chairman of the House committee advised them to fully transition to digital systems to block any loopholes that enable them to generate more revenue.
He also advised them to maintain a cordial relationship with the state government and other relevant stakeholders in the state.”
Speaking, the Chief Medical Director of Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina, Dr. Sulaiman Bello Muhammad, explained that the hospital was upgraded to a teaching hospital in 2022 to train medical students from Umar Musa Yar’adua University.
Dr. Sulaiman Bello mentioned that the hospital has 300 medical doctors, 600 nurses, and 85 consultants, It also trains over 20 nurses every year.”
However, he lamented the high cost, especially in electricity bills, which amount to about 55 million Naira monthly.
He called for the intervention of the House of Assembly to prevent increased charges for patients, considering the current hardship.