NASARAWA ASSEMBLY RAISES ALARM OVER HOSPITAL DECAY, SEEKS URGENT GOVT INTERVENTION
Danyaro decries lack of electricity, water, doctors, nurses; says patients face unbearable conditions
By Suleiman Abubakar Rimi Uku
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has urged Governor Abdullahi Sule to urgently address manpower shortages and infrastructural decay at General Hospital, Nasarawa, in Nasarawa Local Government Area.
The House also called on the state government to provide essential medical facilities and adequate personnel to general hospitals across the state to improve healthcare delivery at the grassroots.
The resolution followed a Matter of Public Interest raised by Hon. Hajarat Danyaro Ibrahim, Ph.D., representing Nasarawa Central Constituency under the All Progressives Congress (APC), during plenary in Lafia.
Reading the resolution, Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau, urged the state government to direct the Ministry of Health and the Hospitals Management Board to deploy sufficient doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers to General Hospital, Nasarawa.
He said adequate staffing and improved infrastructure were essential to meeting the healthcare needs of residents in Nasarawa Local Government and neighbouring communities.
Jatau stressed that a healthy population was vital to the development of the state, adding that the House would not remain indifferent to the deteriorating condition of public health facilities.
He subsequently directed the Clerk of the House to communicate the resolution to Governor Sule for necessary action.
Danyaro raises alarm over hospital conditions
Earlier, Hon. Danyaro painted a disturbing picture of the condition of General Hospital, Nasarawa, describing the situation as increasingly unbearable for patients and healthcare workers.
According to the lawmaker, the hospital is grappling with severe shortages of medical personnel, inadequate infrastructure, lack of electricity and unreliable water supply, alongside poor toilet facilities.
She disclosed that only one doctor and one nurse were reportedly attending to between 20 and 30 cases at a time, a situation she said was adversely affecting healthcare delivery and putting patients at risk.
Danyaro lamented that patients were sometimes asked to bring water from their homes for use in the hospital because of the lack of adequate water supply.
She said repeated complaints to the Hospitals Management Board had yielded no meaningful improvement, prompting her to seek the intervention of the House.
The lawmaker called on the state government to declare a state of emergency in the hospital to facilitate immediate rehabilitation and the deployment of additional medical personnel.
She specifically appealed for the deployment of three doctors and 10 nurses from Nasarawa Local Government Area to the facility, arguing that residents deserved access to adequate and timely medical care.
Danyaro also urged the House to investigate the persistent shortage of healthcare personnel and other operational challenges confronting the hospital.
Lawmakers demand immediate action
Contributing to the debate, Hon. Yusuf Aliyu Chunbaya and Rt. Hon. Abel Yakubu Bala, among other lawmakers, supported the motion and called for urgent government intervention.
They advocated the provision of modern medical equipment, improved infrastructure and the deployment of additional doctors, nurses and other essential healthcare workers to strengthen service delivery.
The lawmakers maintained that the Assembly would not fold its arms while general hospitals across the state continued to experience infrastructural decay and staffing challenges.
The House's resolution places renewed attention on the need for the state government to improve healthcare facilities and ensure that residents, particularly those in rural communities, have access to essential medical services.
