21st June, 2022
By Kingsley Okoye
The Senate on Tuesday passed four bills to establish Federal Medical Centres in four states of the federation.
According to reports, the medical centres would be established in Osogbo -Osun, Onitsha – Anambra; Gada -Sokoto State; and Ijebu-Ode -Ogun.
The passage of the bills followed the consideration of four separate reports by the Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary).
Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC-Kwara), in his presentation, said the centres would be equipped with facilities for diagnostic treatment and rehabilitation at the tertiary levels.
According to him, they will also serve as centres for training health professionals and conduct of advanced health research.
Also at the plenary, Senate passed a bill to amend the Teaching Hospitals (Reconstitution of Boards, etc.), Act 2004.
Oloriegbe, in a separate presentation on a report by the Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), explained that the amendment to the Teaching Hospitals Act seeks to give full legislative recognition to the Federal University, Lokoja, Teaching Hospital.
“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 of today, training facilities in the health sector are inadequate for the current population and projected population growth for Nigeria, currently out at 3 per cent per annum.
“Therefore, establishing the Federal University, Lokoja, Teaching Hospital will address this gap, among others,” Oloriegbe explained.
He said: ”The bill seeks to amend the First Schedule to the Principal Act to include the Federal University, Lokoja, Teaching Hospital.
“By this amendment, it creates a legal backing for the Federal University, Lokoja, Teaching Hospital,” he said.
NAN