The House of Representatives on Thursday called for the relocation of a Federal Medical Centre from Daura, the hometown of the President Muhammadu Buhari to Funtua in Katsina State.
The call was contained in a motion titled: “Need to Relocate the Upgraded General Hospital, Daura to Funtua as Federal Medical Centre”, sponsored by a member of the House from Katsina State, Babangida Ibrahim during the house plenary session.
The green chamber pleaded with the Federal Ministry of Health to ‘reconsider the process of converting Daura General Hospital to Federal Medical Centre adding that it is in the best interest of the public.
The lawmakers urged the ministry to facilitate the relocation of the Federal Medical Centre to Funtua, “being the only senatorial district without a federal health tertiary institution with immediate effect.”
Similarly, Ibrahim recalled a recent approval to convert the General Hospital Daura to a Federal Medical Centre, following the upgrade of the Federal Medical Centre Katsina to a University Teaching Hospital. He also recalled that the new Federal Medical Centre Daura was included in the 2023 budget estimates presented by the President to the National Assembly.
“In August 2019, the Federal Government established the Nigerian Air Force Reference Hospital, a world-class facility to address the constant medical tourism abroad in search of the best medical services, he further recalled.
“The House is worried that the interest of the large populace in Kastina State will be adversely affected if the sited Federal Medical Centre is left in Daura, despite the presence of the Air Force Reference Hospital and its geographical proximity to Katsina.
“The House is also worried that only Funtua Senatorial District lacks the presence of a federal medical facility despite its geographical distance from such facilities available in the state.”