The Kogi State House of Assembly has appealed to the state government to urgently rehabilitate the dilapidated Abejukolo General Hospital to enable it cope with the increasing medical demands of patients in and outside Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The Assembly made the appeals on Tuesday during plenary.
Moving the motion on the floor of the house, the member representing Omala State Constituency, Umar Yahaya explained that, before now, Abejukolo General Hospital served as the only provider of the medical needs of the people of Omala until its services became moribund due to failure on the part of the relevant authorities in maintaining the hospital.
Yahaya noted that many indigenous people of the local government have lost their lives due to improper medical care in their locality.
The lawmakers said, “We are concerned that the Abejukolo General Hospital is not only left with only a medical doctor but that the physician is forced to work under debilitating conditions of inadequate medical facilities and shortage of medical assistants to mention the least.
“The absence of obstetrician or at best a medical birth attendant coupled with the lack of the least medical equipment like obstetrical forceps has led to increased birth-related complications such as uncontrolled haemorrhage (excessive bleeding), perinatal asphyxia (early breaking of water) to mention the least.
“Our Pregnant women today are exposed to quacks as a result, residents of Omala are now left to patronize chemist shops that are mostly substandard, leading to a further rise in medical complications and deaths.
“It is not only by the plight of the pregnant women but also by the increasing death of accident victims due to the failure of the Hospital to effectively carry out emergency service Omala residents, travellers and indigenes alike now look up to this honourable Assembly to rescue them.
“The failure of this hospital gave rise to many private medical outlets in the area charging exorbitantly yet providing substandard services.
“This situation has significantly hampered economic development and the level of material comforts in terms of goods and services available to the people of Omala Local Government Area of our dear State.
“No doubt, the axiomatic expression, “Health Is Wealth” encourages wellness and the State of being free of physical or psychological diseases or malfunction to pursue happiness by means of socio-economic activities”.
He prayed that the State Ministry of Health be called upon to undertake a facility tour of the Abejukolo General Hospital to ascertain the deplorable condition of the hospital and determine necessary remedies to ensure the provision of medical services to the people.
He equally urged the state government to make budgetary provisions in the 2024 Appropriation Bill for upgrading the Abejukolo General Hospital to a Specialist Hospital.
Seconding the motion, the member representing Dekina Biraidu State Constituency, Ochidi Usman Shehu said the problem is not peculiar to Omala alone, noting that, there are many health facilities without personnel across the 21 local governments of Kogi State.
He wants the state government to engage new doctors across Kogi State to address the problem.
On their part, the members representing Okene Town Hon. Suleiman Abdulrazak and his colleague from Ankpa I, Lawal Akus while aligning with the mover of the motion maintained that many hospitals across the state are in a deplorable state, hence the need for the state government to take urgent action to address the problem in rural areas.
Ruling on the motion, the Speaker of the Assembly, Aliyu Umar Yusuf mandated the Committee on Health and Social Services to embark on an on-the-spot assessment of the Hospitals across the state with a view to determining their conditions for possible legislative interventions.
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