The House of Representatives has 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) at 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, Mr Ezechi said that 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 said that the population of the FCT had 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 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.

The house urged the federal ministry of health, in collaboration with the FCT Administration, to immediately assess the state of health facilities in the FCT with the aim of identifying critical areas for expansion, upgrade, and resource  allocation.

The lawmakers resolved to constitute an ad-hoc committee to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the current state of healthcare facilities in the FCT and submit a report within four weeks with recommendations for improvement;

The lawmakers encourage the FCT Administration to partner with private sector stakeholders and international health agencies to boost capacity in the short term while long-term solutions are being implemented.

The house urged the federal government to design a long-term healthcare infrastructure development plan that aligns with the growing population of the FCT and ensure a sustainable and quality healthcare delivery.

Also, the house urged the federal ministry of health and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to deploy surveillance teams, and medical resources to Badagry area of Lagos state to immediately curtaile suspected cholera outbreak.

Moving the motion, Rep. Sesi Whingan (APC-Lagos)  said that there is a disease outbreak suspected to be cholera in the Zongo community, Seme area, Badagry West LCDA, Lagos State, which has claimed lives, threatening a public health catastrophe.

He said the outbreak had left residents, especially women and children, heartbroken and devastated as they face severe cholera symptoms.

The rep said that the outbreak was as a result of contaminated water, poor sanitation, and a collapsed healthcare system, worsened by the relocation of the Nigerian Air Force Mother and Child Care Hospital.

According to the lawmaker, a four-year power outage has crippled water systems, vaccine storage, and health facilities, directly fueling the spread of the cholera.

Mr Whingan said  that without the urgent action by the Federal and Lagos State Governments, the outbreak could spread nationwide, endangering countless lives.

He expressed concern  that this neglect violates Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), mandating the welfare of the people.

The house commended local health workers and volunteers risking their lives to combat the emerging health crisis.

The lawmakers called on the federal ministry of humanitarian affairs, disaster management, and social development to coordinate urgent relief, including clean water and sanitation facilities.

The house urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide sanitary materials, water purification tablets, and disinfectants to affected communities and the federal ministry of power and rural electrification agency (REA) to urgently restore electricity to Badagry to support water systems and health facilities.

In his ruling, the Speaker, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen mandated the house committees on healthcare services, power, rural electrification, and emergency preparedness to visit Badagry West of Lagos to assess the situation and report back within three weeks.

The house later observed a minute silence for the lives lost to the cholera outbreak. 

(NAN)