By Muhammad Sani Muazu
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions, Amos Magaji, has called on Nigerians to patronize local hospitals, such as the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, for quality and affordable medical care.
Magaji made this call during an inspection visit to ATBUTH, where he noted that the hospital offers kidney stone removal surgery for less than a million Naira, a fraction of the cost of traveling to the United Kingdom for the same procedure.
The Chairman emphasized that Nigeria is blessed with medical experts who are making breakthroughs in top hospitals abroad, and the National Assembly is working to address the brain drain in the health sector, dubbed the “japa” syndrome.
During the visit, Magaji stated that the National Assembly’s oversight functions include ensuring effective implementation of budgets.
He expressed concern that the allocation to hospitals in Nigeria is inadequate, considering the high population and disease burden.
To address these challenges, the committee is preparing for a public hearing to declare a state of emergency in the health sector, aimed at repositioning the healthcare system and attracting international patients.
The Chief Medical Director of ATBUTH, Professor Yusuf Bara Jibrin, commended the committee for their encouragement and support.
He highlighted the hospital’s efforts in healthcare provision, research, and training, and urged the committee to assist in obtaining a waiver to employ more staff.
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