The House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions is actively working to reduce the rate of foreign medical tourism by Nigerians.
This was announced by the Chairman of the committee, Mr. Amos Magaji, during an oversight visit to the Federal Teaching Hospital in Katsina on Tuesday.
Mr. Magaji, who represents the Zango Kataf/Jaba Federal constituency of Kaduna State, stated that the committee is dedicated to ensuring that all necessary facilities, structures, workforce, and other essential resources are provided to improve healthcare delivery.
“One of the visions of the 10th National Assembly is to reduce medical tourism by ensuring that we reposition Nigeria’s healthcare sector,” Magaji said. “The aim is to make healthcare services affordable and accessible, especially in tertiary healthcare in Nigeria. In doing that, there are things we will address immediately and there are things we will address later.”
Magaji expressed concern over the disproportionate spending on personnel costs versus capital projects, stating, “It is quite unfortunate that the government will spend a large amount on personnel costs of N14 billion, and you now have probably a capital project of N2 billion. If the government is spending N14 billion, we should be able to see maybe N20 billion for capital projects.”
During the visit, Magaji urged the hospital management to adhere to federal character principles in their employment and appointments, emphasizing the importance of equitable representation.
“We are also working to end any issues of the National Health Insurance decapitation,” he added.
Magaji congratulated the hospital on its recent upgrade from a Federal Medical Centre to a Teaching Hospital, expressing hope that the change would lead to significant advancements in training, research, and service provision for the people of Katsina.
Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Suleiman Bello, highlighted the numerous capital projects undertaken by the hospital in the past five years. Dr. Bello noted that the hospital is equipped with modern equipment and is committed to training consultants and specialists to ensure quality healthcare delivery.