The House of Representatives on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the healthcare sector in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The call followed the adoption of a motion by Rep. Nnamdi Ezechi (PDP-Delta) during plenary on Wednesday in Abuja.
The House called for the release of emergency funds for the upgrade of hospitals, recruitment of medical personnel, and acquisition of critical medical equipment.
Moving the motion earlier, Ezechi said there is an alarming strain on the healthcare system in the FCT, with government hospitals and medical facilities being severely overstretched.
He explained that this has resulted in a critical shortage of bed spaces and medical personnel.
He noted that the population of the FCT has surged significantly over the past two decades, while many of the existing government hospitals were constructed with little or no expansion to match the growing demand for healthcare services.
According to him, 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 the limited capacity of existing facilities, leading to preventable loss of lives daily.
“Concerned 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;
“Worried that 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;
“Convinced that a strategic review and upgrade of health infrastructure in the FCT, along with a comprehensive recruitment drive for medical professionals, will address the urgent needs and ensure better health outcomes,” he said.
