Reps Sound Alarm Over Looming Healthcare Crisis in FCT

A Call for Emergency Intervention, Facility Upgrades, and Staff Recruitment

The House of Representatives has raised serious concerns over an imminent healthcare crisis in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), urging immediate government intervention to avert a potential collapse of medical services in the nation’s capital.

The resolution followed a motion moved on the House floor during Wednesday’s plenary by Hon. Nnamdi Ezechi, who painted a grim picture of the overstretched and under-resourced state of public health facilities across the FCT.

Ezechi warned that government-owned hospitals are overwhelmed by rising demand, resulting in a chronic shortage of bed space, inadequate medical equipment, and a dangerously low number of healthcare personnel.

“Patients in need of urgent medical attention are often left unattended or subjected to long waiting hours due to limited hospital capacity,” he said, adding that this has led to avoidable and preventable loss of lives on a daily basis.

The lawmaker noted that while the population of the FCT has grown significantly over the past two decades, the city’s healthcare infrastructure has remained largely stagnant, with many hospitals built decades ago and yet to undergo any significant expansion or modernization.

He expressed deep concern over the acute shortage of healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, and support staff, which he said is not only affecting service delivery but also putting unsustainable pressure on existing medical personnel.

"If urgent steps are not taken, the situation could spiral out of control, undermining citizens' constitutional right to healthcare and jeopardizing public health,” Ezechi cautioned.

Following extensive deliberation, the House adopted the following key resolutions:

1. Urged the Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the FCT Administration, to conduct an immediate assessment of all health facilities in the territory to identify critical areas in need of expansion, upgrade, and better resource allocation.

2. Constituted an ad-hoc committee to undertake a comprehensive investigation into the current state of healthcare infrastructure in the FCT and report back within four weeks with actionable recommendations.

3. Called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the FCT healthcare system, and ensure the release of emergency funds to upgrade hospitals, hire additional medical personnel, and procure essential medical equipment.

The motion reflects growing national concern about the state of public health in urban areas and signals the lawmakers' commitment to ensuring that residents of the FCT have access to quality and efficient healthcare services.