Stakeholders have thrown their weight behind a bill seeking to amend the Orthopaedic Hospitals Management Board Act to enhance the establishment of Orthopaedic Hospital in Dekina, Kogi state, at a public hearing of the senate Committee on health held on Wednesday.
The bill seeks to promote through the proposed hospital the right to life and dignity of the human person guaranteed under the Constitution.
Senator Isah Jibrin, representing Kogi East is the sponsor of the bill.
According to the lawmaker, the existing orthopaedic hospitals in Nigeria are quite distant, saying many patients die in transit.
Consequently, he said “it is therefore, a case of extreme emergency to amend the Act to establish the proposed hospital in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi East, in order to facilitate the welfare of the people as provided in the Constitution”.
He noted that Kogi East senatorial district where the hospital is proposed to be sited comprises of nine local government areas of Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Ibaji, Idah, Igalamela-Odolu, Ofu, Olamaboro and Omala with a population of over two million people.
Senator Jibrin said the need to amend the Act to establish the Orthopaedic Hospital Dekina is “amplified by the empirical research reports that between 2017 and 2019 about 3,918 farmers in Kogi East fell off palm trees, leading to severe bone crises with 98% being treated by traditional bone setters”.
“Apart from farm hazards, there is an increasing incidence of road traffic accidents and gunshot wounds, with concomitant major vascular and bone damage in the senatorial district.
“Unfortunately, many of the victims don’t have access to orthopedic hospitals and are forced to embrace the services of traditional bone setters who lack the knowledge of “anatomy, physiology or radiography” leading to life-threatening complications such as “acute compartment syndrome, tetanus, deformities, chronic osteomyelitis, gangrene, amputation and deaths in many cases” he said.
He explained that the senatorial district, like many others in the North Central geo-political zone is primarily agrarian economy, adding that the nature of the occupation of the people entails orthopedic hazards, especially as it relates to palm fruits harvest and similar activities.
The lawmaker said the proposed Orthopedic Hospital Dekina is to be affiliated to the Prince Abubakar Audu University Teaching Hospital, Anyigba to facilitate access to orthopaedic healthcare services, provide facilities for diagnosis, curative, promotive and rehabilitative services.
