The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the healthcare sector within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
This resolution followed the adoption of a motion moved by Rep. Nnamdi Ezechi (PDP-Delta) during plenary on Wednesday in Abuja.
While presenting the motion, Ezechi highlighted the alarming strain on the healthcare system in the FCT, noting that government hospitals and medical facilities are severely overstretched.
The House also called for the immediate release of emergency funds to upgrade hospitals, recruit medical personnel, and acquire critical medical equipment.
He said that over the past two decades, the population of the FCT had surged significantly, while many existing government hospitals were built with little or no expansion to meet the growing demand for healthcare services.
“This has resulted in a critical shortage of bed spaces and medical personnel,” he explained.
Consequences of healthcare system failure
According to him, patients in need of critical medical attention are often left unattended or forced to endure long waiting hours due to the unavailability of hospital beds and the limited capacity of existing facilities, resulting in preventable loss of lives daily.
- He expressed concern that the lack of sufficient medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers, further exacerbates the crisis, reducing the quality of care and increasing the burden on the few available staff.
- He warned that without immediate intervention, the healthcare crisis could escalate to unmanageable levels, undermining the right to health and threatening the well-being of residents in the nation’s capital.
“I am convinced that a strategic review and upgrade of health infrastructure in the FCT, combined with a comprehensive recruitment drive for medical professionals, will address these urgent needs and ensure better health outcomes,” he said.
Government directives and collaborative efforts
The House urged the Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the FCT Administration, to immediately assess the state of health facilities in the FCT with the aim of identifying critical areas for expansion, upgrade, and resource allocation.
- The green chamber also resolved to constitute an ad-hoc committee to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the current state of healthcare facilities in the FCT and submit a report within four weeks with recommendations for improvement.
- Lawmakers encouraged the FCT Administration to partner with private sector stakeholders and international health agencies to boost capacity in the short term while long-term solutions are being implemented.
- Furthermore, the House urged the Federal Government to design a long-term healthcare infrastructure development plan that aligns with the growing population of the FCT to ensure sustainable and quality healthcare delivery.
Additionally, the House called on the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to deploy surveillance teams and medical resources to the Badagry area of Lagos State to immediately curtail a suspected cholera outbreak.
