Stakeholders in the health sector on Wednesday rally support for the establishment of Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Wase, Plateau, and Igboho in Oyo State.
The stakeholders made the appeal at a public hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions in Abuja.
Dr Nimkong Ndam, the Plateau Commissioner for Health, said that the people of Southern Senatorial Zone of Plateau, particularly those living in remote villages, have difficulty in accessing tertiary health services.
This, according to him, is due to economic, transportation and barriers, adding that the State Ministry of Health will work tirelessly to ensure the take off of the medical centre.
Dr Markus Avory, a Plateau based medical practitioner, said that the establishment of FMC in Wase would serve not less than six local government areas and some neighbouring states.
He said the establishment of FMC became necessary in view of COVID-19 pandemic that had ravaged the world, urging the committee to also take into cognisance that the country has had Ebola.
He said that establishing FMC in Wase would be appropriate and further helped to serve the people, while commending Rep. Ahmed Wase for the initiative.
Dr Josiah Maina, a Surgeon, said that he was fully in support of the bill, adding that in the whole of Plateau there is no FMC.
According to him, establishing FMC in Wase will go a long way to cushion the extent our people go to search for medical facilities
“If we have FMC in Wase, it will not just serve Plateau people but other neighbouring states, this is a bill that is timely,” he said.
Also speaking for the People of Igboho in Oyo state, Prof. Oyeniyi Okunoye of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), said that the focus of Igboho people was for the Federal Government to give Oke-Ogun priority.
“We are neglected, the most symbolic government presence in Oke-ogun is the frightening presence of Nigeria Customs Service manning the boarder.
“So we are making a case to support the establishment if FMC in Oke-ogun, this will bring an end to the dependent of our people on the health facilities in Benin Republic,” he said.
He said that the people of Oke-ogun usually patronised Benin Republic to access health facilities, adding that there was no government presence in the area.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Representatives Wase and Olumide Ojerinde had respectively sponsored a bill seeking the establishment of FMC and Orthopaedic hospital in their constituencies.
NAN reports that the Bills are seeking for an Act to provide the establishment of the FMC, Wase and for related matters, as well as for an
Act to establish FMC, Igboho, Oyo State, and for other related matter.
The other is a Bill for an Act to amend the Orthopaedic Hospital Management Board Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to provide for the establishment of Orthopaedic Hospital, Jos, Plateau.