Date: 2018-01-27

The Kwara House of Assembly Committee on Health and Environment on Friday appealed to the state government to upgrade facilities in all the state-owned health institutions.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the committee Chairman, Alhaji Ahmed lbn-Mohammed, made the appeal during an oversight visit to some state government- owned hospitals in llorin.

Ibn-Mohamned, accompanied by a member of the committee, AbdukRafiu AbdulRahman, said that this would enable the sector to provide qualitative health services to residents of the state.

He decried the obsolete equipment available in all the hospitals visited.

The committee chairman said that none of the state government-owned hospitals could adequately attend to emergency situations of any kind with the facilities on ground.

Ibn-Mohamned noted that there was no substitute to functional healthcare service in any society, stating that provision of qualitative healthcare service was necessary to the people.

At Sobi Specialist Hospital in llorin, lbn-Mohammed wondered why the oxygen plant that supposed to serve the North Central part of Nigeria was in the state of disrepair many years ago.

He said that the committee would investigate why the oxygen plant worth millions of naira put in place in the state was not functioning.

Dr Sanni Musa, the Chief Medical Director, Sobi Specialist Hospital, while addressing the committee, identified lack of portable water, obsolete equipment, epileptic power supply and inadequate workforce as major challenges facing the hospital.

Musa said the hospital established in 1983, could not meet its obligations of the healthcare needs for residents, following the meager and inconstant monthly running cost from the state government.

At the Children Specialist Hospital Centre, lgboro, llorin, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee at the hospital, represented the Chief Medical Director, Dr Mosunmola Folorunsho.

A medical officer at the Hospital, Dr Kudirat Lambe, called for the upgrading of the hospital.

Lambe identified obsolete equipment, lack of electricity and meager monthly running cost as challenges facing the hospital.

The House Committee chairman, while addressing the management staff of the Civil Service Clinic in llorin, said that N200 million had been approved in the 2018 budget for renovation of the hospital.

He advised the hospital management to further improve on the sanitary condition of the place to prevent communicable diseases.