(SINL NIGERIA) Senator Garba Musa Maidoki, representing Kebbi South on Thursday sought for support for a bill to establish a federal medical centre (FMC) in Zuru, saying this will enable the people of Zuru and Yauri Emirates to have easy access to health care.
He said the proposed FMC, when established, will provide services to some parts of Niger, Zamfara and Sokoto States within the radius of 50km.
Senator Maidoki, who is the sponsor of the bill made this known at a public hearing on the amendment of the federal medical centres act 2022 held on Thursday in Abuja.
He recalled that Federal Medical Centers were established by Decree No.10 of 1985; University Teaching Hospitals (Decree of
1985), now Laws of the Federation.
He explained that FMC Birnin Kebbi was established on 6′ June, 2000 under CAP 462 of the laws of the Federation of Nigeria, adding that these FMCs, FMC Birnin Kebbi inclusive were created across the Country to serve as Tertiary Health Facilities.
To this end, the lawmaker noted that “their establishment have created healthcare strata flowing from primary providers, such as Primary Health Centers, General
Hospitals, through the secondary healthcare providers, which are
General Hospitals to the tertiary healthcare providers, the FMCs
Teaching Hospitals and Research Centers.
He said the demand for the establishment of FMC in Zuru, followed the upgrade of FMC Birnin Kebbi to a University Teaching Hospital by the federal government.
“I urge my fellow Distinguished Colleagues, the Federal Ministry of Health with all sense of
modesty and responsibility, to support this bill which is primarily
aimed at providing Secondary Health Care Facilities to a group of
people that are disadvantaged and wish to enjoy the dividends of
democracy.
“Kindly support this Bill so that the people of Zuru and Yauri Emirates will have easy access to health care, which is a fundamental privilege, expected from any government and the people of
these two Emirates greatly desire these rights as citizens of this great
country” he said.
Commenting on the need for the establishment of FMC in Zuru, Senator Maidoki maintained “the people of Zuru Emirate with 4 Local Government Areas with an average population of over one million and coupled with the sprawling population of Kebbi South with 7 Local Government Areas having an average population of about One Million Seven Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Three Hundred and Ninety Five (1,770,395) people, the population of Kebbi South Senatorial District is large.
“These and other reasons call for the quest and desire for the establishment of the FMC, Zuru. It may interest my Distinguished Colleagues and the general public to note that the distance between Zuru Emirate and Kebbi State capital, (Birnin Kebbi), is about 240 km and similar distance between the headquarters of Yauri Emirate and the State capital”.
He continued “This is a reasonable
challenge to convey sick people including children and pregnant women to the secondary/tertiary Healthcare Institutions in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.
“The deplorable state of all roads from Zuru to Koko and subsequently to the state capital makes a journey of one hour under normal circumstances, to take an average of 6 hours”.
“We are however grateful to
Kebbi State Government for addressing this challenge now. There exist Primary and Secondary Health Facilities that are to serve as feeders to the proposed FMC, Zuru. They include General Hospitals Bena, Wasagu, Ribah, Dirin Daji, Mahuta, Senchi Zuru, Yauri, Warah, Shanga, and Rural Health Centers in all the major villages of the senatorial district”.
