Nasarawa Assembly decries poor state of general hospital

Nasarawa State House of Assembly

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has urged Governor Abdullahi Sule to direct the state Ministry of Health and the Hospitals Management Board to deploy adequate medical personnel to the General Hospital in Nasarawa Local Government Area to address its numerous challenges.

The House also urged the state government to provide necessary facilities to all general hospitals across the state to improve access to healthcare at the grassroots.

The Speaker of the House, Danladi Jatau, made the call while reading the House resolution on a matter of public interest raised by Hon. Hajarat Danyaro (APC-Nasarawa Central) during plenary on Wednesday in Lafia, the state capital.

Jatau said deploying doctors and nurses to the hospital would go a long way towards improving the health of residents of the area and its environs.

He appreciated the sponsor of the motion and other lawmakers for their contributions to the matter.

The Speaker said a healthy nation was a wealthy nation, hence the need for the state government to address the hospital’s manpower and infrastructural challenges.

He said, “The resolution of the House is to the effect that His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, is urged to call on the relevant agencies, the Ministry of Health and the Hospitals Management Board, to deploy sufficient manpower, doctors and nurses to General Hospital, Nasarawa.

“Secondly, the state government should provide necessary facilities to all general hospitals across the state because a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.”

Jatau subsequently directed the Clerk of the House to communicate the resolution to Governor Sule for necessary action.

Earlier, Danyaro, who represents Nasarawa Central Constituency, urged her colleagues to support her call for the state government to address the shortage of medical personnel and other challenges at the General Hospital, Nasarawa, saying the situation had become unbearable.

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Describing the hospital’s condition as a potential death trap, Danyaro insisted that urgent action was needed to address the situation.

She said, “Mr Speaker and honourable colleagues, I rise on the issue of the dilapidated state of General Hospital, Nasarawa, in my constituency. It is unfortunate that we have only one doctor and a nurse attending to 20 or 30 cases at a time. It is unfortunate.

“There is no electricity, no water, and the toilet is not in good condition. Patients are always asked to go home and bring water for use in the hospital. What a sad experience. The hospital is dilapidated, and this is negatively affecting the health of my people.

“I have visited and complained to the Hospitals Management Board many times, but no solution has been found and no action has been taken. It is in view of this that I am appealing to you to support me in the interest of the health of my people and the development of the state.”

She added, “I want the state government to declare a state of emergency at General Hospital, Nasarawa. There are no staff, no electricity and no water. Patients bring water from home. The hospital is a building standing on its own.

“I want the government to look for three doctors and 10 nurses who are from Nasarawa LGA and deploy them to go back home and work for their people. Their people are dying. It is a very pathetic situation, and the CMD of the Hospitals Management Board is not doing anything about it.”

She also urged the House to investigate the shortage of healthcare personnel and other challenges at the hospital.

Contributing to the debate, Hon. Yusuf Aliyu Chunbaya and Rt. Hon. Abel Yakubu Bala, among others, supported the motion and called for urgent action to address the challenges facing the hospital and other health facilities across the state.

They said lawmakers would not fold their arms and watch general hospitals across the state deteriorate.

The lawmakers also called for the provision of modern facilities and the deployment of more doctors and nurses to the hospital to improve healthcare delivery in the area.