Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Secondary and Tertiary Institutions, has commended the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute Metta, on its expansion work to further increase its services to patients.

Ms Harry-Banigo, representing the Rivers West District in Rivers at the senate, gave the commendation on Thursday during the committee’s oversight visit to the hospital and other health regulatory agencies in Lagos.

She noted that the country was currently grappling with poor health indices that needed to be addressed by adequately supporting health institutions and agencies.

Ms Harry-Banigo said, “We have able to have useful discussion with these various health institutions with the aim to improve our health sector. We have committed health workers, but we still have much more to do due to our poor health indices in the area of infant and maternal mortality and the life expectancy of Nigerians.

“We are here to find out what their needs are by looking at their current budget and how it can be improved and enhance their services. FMC Ebute Metta has done a lot of expansion work and also improved its old structures to render more services to Nigerians.

“This is a good pointer to their vision and passion, not only to render quality services but to also make Nigerians comfortable when they come for treatment and consultation.”

She added that efforts would be made to support the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) in increasing the number of trained resident doctors in the country.

According to Ms Harry-Banigo, a former deputy governor of Rivers, the 8,500 residents trained is low.

“The NPMCN trains about 8,500 residents, which is too low. We need to do more because we have 72 federal health institutions, including Teaching Hospitals, Specialist Hospitals, and Federal Medical Centres across the country.

“We want to encourage them to train more and it will require additional funding,” she said.

Adedamola Dada, the medical director of FMC Ebute Metta, said the committee’s commendation would spur the hospital to do more.

Ms Dada, represented by Saheed Ogunme, head of clinical services at the hospital, appealed to the National Assembly to give the hospital a special grant to expand its services to Nigerians.

He said, “We are excited and fulfilled with the commendation, but we still need to do more. We are landlocked in FMC Ebute Metta, and because of that, the hospital purchased a property not too far from us.

“We are using this medium to appeal to the national assembly to give the hospital a special grant to expand our facilities and cater to the overwhelming numbers of Nigerians who come to our hospital for their health needs.”

Fatiu Arogundade, the Registrar of NPMCN, also said the desired increase in the number of trained resident doctors in the country would be achievable if the necessary measures were put in place.

Mr Arogundade noted that improved facilities and services and an increase in the number of trainers in health institutions would help train more residents in the country.

“What I said during the presentation was that the disbursed fund is for 8,500 resident doctors, but we have others who are not captured in states and missionary hospitals.

“So, the total residents we train is up to 11,000 to 12,000,  which may not be adequate because many have left and are still leaving the country. Government must employ more consultants that are trainers, improve our facility and service to make this possible,” he said.

The committee had earlier visited the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba; Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, and the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi. 

(NAN)