Niger Assembly Member Cries Out Over Shortage Of Doctors

The Member representing Kontagora I Constituency in the Niger State House of Assembly, Hon Sani Umar, has raised the alarm over the shortage of medical staff at Kontagora general hospital.

He claimed that up to five people die in a day due to a lack of qualified doctors to provide life-saving procedures to several patients in need of medical assistance.

In a motion he sponsored, the member at plenary said that “good health is indeed wealth and that Kontagora General Hospital, as currently administered, does not have a qualified doctor to provide life-saving procedures on several patients needing medical assistance; sometimes, up to five patients die per day.”

He further explained that, given the country’s current economic realities, most families could not afford to patronise private Clinics and thus rely on medical services provided by Public medical centres.
Umar said, “As representatives of the people, we have a responsibility to speak up and seek life-saving decisions for the benefit of our people.”

He reminded the house that Kontagora General Hospital is the only Government-owned hospital covering the four Local Government Areas of Rijau, Magama, Mariga, and Kontagora.

The House, therefore, resolved that, as a matter of urgent public importance, the government should provide a doctor for Kontagora General Hospital to arrest the untimely death of innocent people.

LEADERSHIP reports that state Governor Mohammed Umar Bago recently approved the recruitment of 1,000 medical personnel with various specialisations.