Twice within the last two weeks, the Federal Ministry of Health at the Senate wing of the National Assembly, kicked against bills seeking for upgrade or establishments of new health institutions. TAIYE ODEWALE reports.
The first of such disagreements happened penultimate Monday, when the Minister of State for Health, Senator (Dr) Olorunnibe Mamora, kicked against bills seeking for upgrade of some medical facilities of tertiary health institutions in Adamawa state during a public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Health to that effect.
The three separate bills for the public hearing centred sponsored by Senator Aishatu Binani Ahmed (APC Adamawa Central), included the National Dermatology Hospital, Garkida Adamawa, Establishment Bill 2021, Teaching Hospital for the Modibbo Adama University, Yola and Federal Medical Centres Establishment Bills.
Kicking against the proposed legislations, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora, in his presentation, said the sponsor of the bills should have sought and obtained presidential approval before coming up with the proposed legislations.
According to Mamora, there are already 22 teaching hospitals in the country aside others that are still coming on stream.
The 1995 Act, he added, states in Section 1 (3) empowers only the President to give approval for its establishment.
“It is also pertinent to note that the proposed federal tertiary hospitals cannot be created without the approval of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“If the proponents of the bill have the approval of the President, it behoves on them to present the same to the Federal Ministry of Health for further necessary actions.
“Where there is no presidential approval for the establishment of the hospital, the sponsor of the bill will do well to first seek approval with justification.
“After securing approval, other due diligence has to be made through the Federal Government and relevant authorities, the teaching hospitals included in the list of federal teaching hospitals.
“What we are saying is that proposing a bill to amend the teaching hospitals Act to include the name of a non existent hospital is like “putting the cart before the horse.
“Existing federal medical centres automatically become teaching hospitals following presidential approval in states that have federal universities without medical schools. I think this is the most important thing that we need to know.
“We have seen quite a number of times where we are been approached to allow the federal medical centres to stand as teaching hospitals pending the time that such hospital will be established for the state universities. This is the issue here.
“The ministry’s position on the Federal Medical Centres ( FMC) establishment bill is that it is the Federal Government policy that should first be in place for such provisions .
“Presently, there are many Federal Medical Centres in the country, some of which are being converted to Teaching Hospitals in some states”, he explained.
The Minister also kicked against the establishment of a National Hospital for Dermatology.
His words: “We observed that most of the Federal Teaching Hospitals and some Federal Medical Centres, have such facilities, called Department of Dermatology. It is a specialised department where issues that have to do with the skin can be better managed.
“We believe that as much as it is important to pay attention to the issue of dermatology, we also know that establishing a hospital for dermatology condition will affect patients’ opportunities to be co-managed by other specialities.
“We are saying if we have to establish this hospital, much as it is desirable, we need to consider all that is involved in terms of human resource which is very important.
“We also know that inviting other specialists or engaging them on a visiting basis will not be cost effective and it can delay patient management, it is worth noting that dermatologists work very closely with plastic surgeons in terms of reconstruction and cosmetic surgeries.
“The position of the ministry on the bill with all its financial implications, is that it will be more appropriate to allow the existing dermatological units or clinics in the various tertiary hospitals to serve the purpose the proposed National Hospital was being planned for “.
Though the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe ( APC Kwara Central) , disagreed with the Minister by declaring that the National Assembly has powers to make laws for the establishments of federal health institutions but the Health Ministry made similar antagonism to the Bill seeking for establishment of Federal Medical Centre, Mubi, Adamawa state, last week Thursday at another public hearing.
The Ministry had in its memorandum to the committee kicked against the proposed upgrading of a general hospital in Mubi, Adamawa state to a Federal Medical Centre (FMC), adding there was already a teaching hospital in the state.
Specifically, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Abdulaziz Mashi Abdullahi, who represented the Minister of Health, had said that there was need for consultation with the Ministry before such bills seeking to establish or upgrade existing healthcare facilities are drafted and presented.
The Ministry’s position was however faulted by Senator Oloriegbe who insisted that it is the executive that often neglects consultation with the National Assembly before announcing crucial policies or embarking on programmes.
“Talking about consultation, of course, as you agreed and alluded that this (Public Hearing) is part of consultation.
“However, let me just state as a matter of procedure, just like Distinguished Senator Kashim Shettima said, agenda setting is that of the National Assembly, making the proposed legislations to be in order .
“Therefore in terms of consultations, we even consult you more in the executive than how you consult us”, he said .
He also noted that there are five states in Nigeria that have both a Federal Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres, some of whose populations and land mass, he said, were not up to that of Adamawa state.
Senators Danjuma Goje (APC Gombe Central) and Kashim Shettima ( APC Borno Central) , also kicked against the submissions of the Permanent Secretary on the bill by insisting that National Assembly has the right to establish the Institution through legislation.
“Mr. Chairman, you have really hit the nail on the head. Adamawa’s request for a Federal Medical Centre Mubi, is justified”, Goje said.
Aligning himself with the position of Goje, Shettima said: “It is not for the Federal Ministry of Health to dictate to us how we should run this Nation.
“If you don’t have the resources, then you can tell us and we will find a window through the North East Development Commission ( NEDC), to fund the project.
“But for the Federal Government or any organization for that matter, to come out and say no it is not part of our agenda, we are the agenda setters and we are setting the agenda that let there be a Federal Medical Centre in Mubi.”
Also making justification for the bill, its sponsor, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed said : “We strongly believe that the peculiar circumstances of Adamawa State , both in terms of distances, population, accessibility and history justifies the establishment of the tertiary health care facility and Mubi provides the ideal location for it “
Apparently overwhelmed by preponderance of opinions in favour of the bill, the Permanent Secretary in his final response said :“I don’t have much to say, rather than to tell this Committee that all you have said is duly noted by the Ministry”.
But with arguments for and against establishments of such Institutions between the executive and legislators at bills consideration level, will such bills be signed into law by the President when eventually passed and forwarded to him ?
