Abbas Calls For Strengthened Oversight Of Health Institutions

ABUJA – In a bid to address the shortage of specialised healthcare in the North-East region, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has called for strengthened oversight of health institutions by relevant legislative committees to ensure they meet the needs of the Nigerian public.

This came to light during a public hearing organised by the House Committee on Healthy Specialty Care and Services, focused on a bill aimed at establishing an Orthopaedic Hospital in Billiri, Gombe State.

Abbas stated this on Thursday at a public hearing organised by the House Committee on Healthy Specialty Care and Services on “A Bill for an Act to amend the Orthopaedic Hospitals Management Board to Provide for the establishment of the Orthopaedic Hospital Billiri, Gombe State.

According to the Speaker, the bill seeks to address the orthopaedic healthcare gap in the North-East by creating a facility that can offer specialised care to those in need.

He expressed commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery in Nigeria, with a focus on specialised institutions.

“The Orthopaedic Hospital Billiri bill presents several key merits in terms of addressing healthcare needs in Gombe State and, more broadly, Nigeria’s healthcare system. This will enhance access to critical orthopaedic care, particularly in a region that needs sufficient specialised health services to remain resilient,” he said.  

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Alex Ogbona, said the bill seeks to provide for the establishment of the Orthopaedic Hospital Billiri, Gombe State under the control of the Orthopaedic Hospitals Management Board and affiliated with the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe, to provide specialised orthopaedic treatment and medical services.

Represented by the Deputy Chairman, Shetima Ali, Mr Ogbona recalled that the Principal Act was first amended during the 9th National Assembly.

Also speaking, the Gombe State Commissioner for Health, Dr Habu Dahiru said the state has only one general tertiary institution, adding that population growth over the years has rendered the facility incapable of meeting the needs of the people.

According to him, the population has outgrown the facility due to a high influx of people from the neighbouring states as a result of insurgency in the North East sub-region.

“Billiri the headquarters of Billiri Local Government Area, the proposed location of the orthopaedic hospital is strategically located on the highway.

“It will provide easy access for patients in need of special care and referrals from primary and secondary facilities in the state and the neighbouring Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Taraba States.

“At the moment, our indicators are poor and far from the World Health Organisation’s recommendations in the state and the zone. Therefore, we need specialty orthopaedic hospitals to improve our indicators, access training, research and expert management to reverse the trend,” he said.

He added that when established, the hospital will provide millions of people with access to quality healthcare services.

Also speaking at the event, Brig Gen Nuhu Adeh (retd) said there are three orthopaedic hospitals across the three regions in the country in Kano, Lagos and Enugu States.