From Yahaya Idris, Lafia
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has urged Governor Abdullahi Sule to urgently address critical manpower and infrastructural challenges at the General Hospital, Nasarawa, in Nasarawa Local Government Area, following concerns over inadequate medical personnel, lack of electricity and water supply, and poor toilet facilities.
The call followed a Matter of Public Interest raised by Hon. Hajarat Danyaro Ibrahim, PhD, who represents Nasarawa Central Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), during plenary in Lafia.
Danyaro, while drawing the attention of lawmakers to the deteriorating condition of the hospital, described the situation as alarming and called for urgent government intervention to prevent further hardship for patients and healthcare workers.
She disclosed that the hospital reportedly had only one doctor and one nurse attending to between 20 and 30 cases at a time, a situation she said was putting the health and well-being of residents at serious risk.
According to the lawmaker, the facility is also grappling with a lack of electricity and water supply, alongside inadequate toilet facilities and insufficient medical personnel.
She lamented that patients were sometimes asked to bring water from their homes for use in the hospital, describing the experience as unfortunate and unacceptable for a public healthcare facility.
“Mr Speaker and Honourable Colleagues, I rise on the issue of the dilapidated nature of General Hospital Nasarawa in my constituency.
“It is unfortunate that we have only one doctor and one nurse attending to 20 or 30 cases at a time. There is no electricity, no water, and the toilet facilities are in poor condition,” she said.
Danyaro said the deplorable state of the hospital was negatively affecting the health of her constituents, adding that she had repeatedly raised concerns with the Hospitals Management Board without seeing the desired response.
She, therefore, appealed to her colleagues to support the motion in the interest of public health and the development of the state.
The lawmaker called on the state government to declare a state of emergency in the hospital, arguing that the shortage of personnel and the absence of basic amenities had made the facility incapable of adequately meeting the healthcare needs of the people.
She further urged the government to consider deploying three doctors and 10 nurses from Nasarawa Local Government Area to the hospital to strengthen healthcare delivery and ensure that residents had access to timely medical attention.
Danyaro also called on the House to investigate the shortage of health workers and other challenges confronting the facility, expressing concern over what she described as the failure of the relevant authorities to address the situation despite repeated complaints.
Assembly demands urgent government intervention
In response, the Speaker of the House, Dr Danladi Jatau, read the House resolution urging Governor Sule to direct the Ministry of Health and the Hospitals Management Board to deploy adequate medical personnel, particularly doctors and nurses, to General Hospital Nasarawa.
The Assembly also called on the state government to provide essential facilities to general hospitals across Nasarawa State to improve healthcare delivery and address the medical needs of residents at the grassroots.
Jatau said the deployment of more doctors and nurses to the hospital would significantly improve the health status of residents in Nasarawa Local Government Area and neighbouring communities.
He stressed that healthcare remained a critical component of societal development, noting that the government needed to take decisive steps to resolve the challenges confronting public health facilities.
“A healthy nation is a wealthy nation,” the Speaker said, emphasising the need for urgent action to address the manpower and infrastructural deficiencies at the hospital.
He appreciated Danyaro for raising the matter and commended other lawmakers for their contributions during deliberations.
The Speaker subsequently directed the Clerk of the House to communicate the resolution to Governor Sule for necessary action.
Lawmakers call for improved healthcare facilities
Contributing to the debate, Hon. Yusuf Aliyu Chunbaya and Rt. Hon. Abel Yakubu Bala, among other lawmakers, supported the motion and called for immediate measures to address the challenges at General Hospital Nasarawa and other public health facilities across the state.
They maintained that the Assembly would not remain indifferent to the deteriorating condition of general hospitals, stressing the need for modern medical equipment, improved infrastructure and adequate staffing.
The lawmakers said strengthening public healthcare facilities was essential to reducing the difficulties residents face in accessing medical services, particularly those who depend on government hospitals for affordable treatment.
The Assembly’s resolution places renewed attention on the need for the Nasarawa State Government and relevant health authorities to improve working conditions in public hospitals, ensure the availability of basic amenities and provide sufficient medical personnel to deliver effective healthcare services.
The government is expected to consider the Assembly’s recommendations as part of efforts to improve healthcare delivery and protect the lives of residents across the state.