Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has assured Nigerians that the National Assembly will ensure that they have access to quality healthcare.
Akpabio said this while declaring open a public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary).
The senator said that in a country where access to quality healthcare remained a challenge for many, establishing specialised institutions such as orthopaedic hospitals and eye treatment centres will not just be a necessity, but a moral imperative.
According to the President of the Senate, the state of the health infrastructure in Nigeria was a matter of grave concern adding that we lacked behind other developing nations in terms of modern medical facilities and resource.
The public hearing was on some including: “A Bill for an Act to Establish the Federal Orthopaedic Hospital, Toro, Bauchi State (Amendment), Bill, 2024 and National Eye Centre Doma, Nasarawa State (Establishment) Bill, 2024”.
Represented by Senator Osita Ngwu, PDP, Enugu West, Akpabio said lawmakers must ensure every Nigerian had access to the care he or she needs.
He said, “We must ensure that every Nigerian has
access to the care he needs, when he needs it. By supporting these bills, we are fulfilling our constitutional mandate and demonstrating our dedication to the health and welfare of our people.
“By this public hearing, I’m reminded of our immense responsibility as lawmakers to shape the future of healthcare in Nigeria.
“The bills before us are not just pieces of legislation they are the building blocks upon which we will build a stronger, more resilient healthcare sector that can meet the needs of our people.
“These bills sponsored by distinguished colleagues of this senate, is a testament of their foresight, passion and unwavering commitment to the well-being of our citizens.
“This is a stark reality and we can not afford to ignore it. The introduction of legislation to develop and manage our health care infrastructure is a crucial step toward bridging this gap and bringing our health care systems into the 21st century.”
In his remarks, Senator Shehu Buba, APC-Bauchi South who sponsored the bill for an act to provide for the establishment for the Federal Orthopaedic Hospital, Toro, Bauchi State, said that the hospital when established would proffer comprehensive orthopaedic care for joint replacement, fracture, arthritis which was essentially what the people of the north-eastern part of the country lacked, particularly Bauchi State.
He said, “It will also bring health care closer to the people at a reduced cost compared to private hospitals and will equally drastically reduce health tourism to other countries.
“It will stimulate economic growth, foster inter-regional integration and create job opportunities.
“It will deter patients from patronising traditional bone setters who enjoy patronage in the absence of specialised orthopaedic hospitals.”
