Senate passes bills to establish Medical Centers in four states

The Senate passed four bills on Tuesday to construct Federal Medical Centers in four states throughout the country.

The medical centers would be built at Osogbo, Ogun State; Onitsha, Anambra State; Gada, Sokoto State; and Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

The measures to establish the Medical Centers were passed after the Committee on Health considered four independent reports (Secondary and Tertiary).

Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara Central), the Committee’s Chairman, stated in his presentations that the Centers would be equipped with diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitation services at the tertiary level.

They would also function as training centers for health workers and conduct advanced health research, according to him.

In related news, the Senate passed a bill amending the Teaching Hospitals (Reconstitution of Boards, etc.) Act 2004 on Tuesday.

In a separate presentation on a report by the Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), Oloriegbe highlighted that the modification to the Teaching Hospitals Act aims to grant the Federal University Lokoja Teaching Hospital full legislative status.

“Mr. President and Distinguished Colleagues, every Institution needs to be backed by an enabling law. “It is against this background that this bill is before the chamber.

“As at today, training facilities in the health sector are inadequate for the current population and projected population growth for Nigeria, currently out at 3 percent per annum.

“Therefore, establishing the Federal University Lokoja Teaching Hospital will address this gap among others,” Oloriegbe added.

He went on to say that the measure aims to alter the Principal Act’s First Schedule to include the Federal University Lokoja Teaching Hospital.

This modification gives the Federal University Lokoja Teaching Hospital legal standing, according to the Senator.

After a clause-by-clause review by the Committee of the Whole, the chamber passed the four acts establishing the Federal Medical Centers and the bill amending the Teaching Hospitals Act 2004 during plenary.

Love what we do? Then, buy us a bottle of coke:

• Num: 1210002022
• Name: Ninchi Services Limited
• Bank: Zenith Bank