House Committee on Health Institutions reaffirms govt’s commitment to improving sector

By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions, Hon. Patrick Umoh, has reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to change positively the country’s health sector.

Umoh said this when he led members of the committee on an oversight visit to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan on Tuesday.

“We go round the hospital in the course of the visit, met patients to reassure them of the government’s objective to provide healthcare for the people.

“We live in a challenging time where the ‘japa’ syndrome has almost taken over, but we are confident in the health sector of our country.

“We came physically to see things by ourselves and ensure that Nigerians are safe,” he said.

Umoh urged the UCH management to come up with a proposal, summary of their need and promised that the committee would do its best to ensure that the needs are met.

“Areas such as the hospital’s cancer centre should be a place of interest because of its importance, we want Nigerians to enjoy the dividends of democracy even through the health sector,” he said.

Umoh emphasised that it is the core mandate of the committee to conduct oversight on health institutions, evaluate the 2024 budget performance and look at their projections for 2025.

The UCH Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, said their challenges centered on the need to acquire more equipment, staff and give the best to the patients.

Otegbayo appealed for additional funding to recruit more staff to fill up the gap created by the ‘japa’ syndrome, retirement and others.

He appreciated the committee for the visit while promising that the hospital would continue to do its best to fulfill its mandate.

“They have asked us to do a summary of our needs and forward it, so I’m happy that something good will come out of this visit,” Otegbayo said.

Earlier, the CMD of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Prof. John Oyeniyi identified poor power supply as the biggest challenge in public health institutions.

He said the OAUTH tries its best to invest heavily in solar energy in most critical areas of the hospital, including theatres, blood bank, emergency units, to save lives.

“Hardly do we get 14 hours light in a day despite being placed on band A, this causes loss of lives because we can’t work effectively without stable power.

“We are waiting eagerly for the government to bring CNG and convert our generators to CNG base.

“We also have challenge of man power shortage and infrastructural dilapidation but in spite of all these, we have committed staff,” Oyeniyi said.

Also present during the visit were the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Dr Adesola Adedayo and other members, who visited the hospital’s Out Patients Departments, Radiotherapy, clinics and other units to check their situation. (NAN)