FCT Lawmaker Advocates Public/Private Partnership For Health Development

The Representative for Abuja North (AMAC/Bwari Federal constituency)

of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the House of Representatives, Hon. Joshua Chinedu Obika has advocated the adoption of public/private partnership for the development of the health sector in the nation’s capital.

This is just as the lawmaker commended the successful public/ private partnership initiative between the FCT Administration and Nisa Garki Premier Hospital Abuja.

This collaboration, he said, has revitalised the Garki Hospital, ensuring its continued operation after it was closed before 2007.

Hon. Obika cited the operation of Nisa Garki Hospital as a flagship strategy worthy of replication across other areas to expedite the development of not only the FCT health sector but also various economic sectors within the Territory.

The Abuja North representative made this disclosure at a recent visit to the hospital to assess its operations as a joint asset of the FCT and the concessionaires.

Obika disclosed that he was in the hospital to explore its possible role in his constituency project initiative focusing on public health.

He urged the FCT Administration to adopt similar measures to establish new hospitals in districts lacking general hospitals as provided for in the master plan.

Obika lamented the near collapse of the Primary Health Care Sector and called for urgent intervention, emphasising the significance of health and education in determining the Human Development Index of the populace.

He commended the hospital authorities for providing high-quality services to his constituents and for their humanitarian efforts in offering free services at times.

The Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Adamu Onu had expressed appreciation to Obika for been the first legislator to visit since the hospital’s inception which was indicative of his concern for the welfare of his constituents.

Onu highlighted the critical roles the hospital has played in improving health service delivery in FCT over the past 16 years, having  provided continuous services, unlike government hospitals often affected by strikes.

According to him, the hospital has attended to over 2 million patients and becomes a preferred choice for beneficiaries of both National and FCT Health Insurance Schemes in the FCT .