The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says it will employ not less than 500 health professionals to improve service delivery to residents.
Secretary, Health and Human Service Secretariat, Adamu Bappah stated this on Monday while at Kubwa General Hospital during an inspection of FCTA hospitals and other health facilities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all the hospitals visited by the secretary and his team requested for more staff.
Bappah said FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello had already given the directive for the Secretariat to employ.
He, however, appealed for patience from applicants, explaining that not all of them from the FCTA’s 14 hospitals would be absorbed because their number was quite high, adding that other Nigerians too would be considered.
Commenting on an abandoned Accidents and Emergency Unit at Bwari General Hospital, Bappah said the secretariat might revoke and re- award the project due to the death of the contractor.
He directed that representatives of the late contractor be called for a meeting with the view to revoking and reawarding it.
All the hospitals visited requested expansion and acquisition of modern facilities to shore up services.
Bappah also paid homage to Sarkin Bwari, Awwal Ijakoro II, and Esu of Bwari, Ibrahim Yaro JP, soliciting their cooperation and support to government hospitals within their domain.
At Jiwa town, the Agaba of Jiwa, Alhaji Idris Musa told the team that the FCT Administration had abandoned his ancient chiefdom in the provision of basic amenities, especially health facility.
Musa urged the FCTA to provide the area with at least a secondary hospital, adding that, “it is a shame that as a polio ambassador, I do not have any hospital within my domain.
“My people are dying, our women and children are dying, and the government is not doing anything.
“Look at the access road, in case of emergency; someone can die trying to access Kubwa or Gwarinpa general hospitals.
“And this is where you have the international timber and building materials market and others. Railway is just 5 kilometres away from here,’’ he said.
On the relocation of Jiwa town by the FCTA, the monarch requested to know where the people would be relocated to.
“It will be anarchy because there will be problems between us and the people already living where you want to take us to. We are not going anywhere. We want integration,’’ he said.
According to him, lack of government health facility within the area has been responsible for proliferation of quack health personnel and facilities.
He noted that apart from worsening the health of the Jiwa people, the quacks carried out abortions, which sometimes led to death.
Musa also regretted that Jiwa chiefdom which dated back to 1450, has only a clinic established in 1944, and which had not been improved upon, therefore, grossly inadequate due to population increase.
He therefore appealed to the secretary to apprehend and punish, particularly the two identified quacks in Jiwa.
The Agaba said one of the quacks was suspected to be the same one who disappeared from Kwali and ran to Jiwa to continue his quack practice.
He alleged that the quack ran to Jiwa after he was exposed by the Etsu of Kwali, Dr. Shaban Audu Nizazo III during a recent visit.
While responding, Bappah assured that the requests would be looked into with all seriousness, including those of other traditional rulers and medical directors.
“We will present the requests to the FCT Minister for further action,” he said.
The secretary also inaugurated a newly constructed Pharmacy Unit at Gwarinpa General Hospital, urging the staff to continue support each other in the delivery of health care services to the people
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