Specialist Hospital Lafia Has All The Necessary Facilities For A Teaching Hospital, Says DASH CMD
…as NSHA assess budget performance of DASH, HMB, MOH
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia, Dr. Ikrama Hassan has said that the State has all the necessary facilities for the full take off of Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lafia, if given final approval.
He stated this when Nasarawa State House of Assembly (NSHA) Committee on Health visited the specialist hospital as part of their oversight function to assess the budget performance of the hospital so far in 2023.
According to Dr. Ikrama Hassan, the establishment of the teaching hospital will facilitate better training for medical students which will in turn improve on the health of the people of the State and other Nigerians.
The CMD also said that the hospital has workforce and apparatus to immediately commence teaching hospitals program if given the approval.
He also disclosed that the administrative processes are on for the take-off of the teaching hospital.
On the finances of the specialist hospital, the CMD disclosed that the expectant revenue for 2023 of the facility was N376 million but the hospital has so far generated N380 million.
He revealed that arrangements has been fine tuned to construct IVF center to operate at subsidized rate for the people of the State.
The CMD appreciated the committee, the House and State Government for supporting its activities to succeed.
Earlier, Hon Larry Ven Bawa, the Chairman of the committee said that the visit was to assess their 2023 budget performance.
He urged the ministries, agencies and departments under the committee to adhere strictly to their budgetary provisions.
He commended Gov. Abdullahi Sule for prioritizing the health sector in the State.
The committee chairman assured them of their support in the area of improved budget and released.
He added that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation, hence the need for the committee’s commitment in that direction.
The committee was however not pleased with the management of DASH for spending above approved budget where the chairman of the committee, Larry Ven Bawa called on the management of the hospital to follow budgetary process in spending.
Also, the committee met with the Hospital Management Board where its Chief Medical Director Dr. Egba Edogo said their constraints still revolved around lack of manpower but intimated them that the state government is working had to close the gap.
The committee also met with management of the State Ministry of Health where the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Damina John Ali commended the committee and the state government for supporting its activities to succeed.
He said that they have lots of approvals for the execution of various health projects and appealed to the committee to assist them in addressing their challenges.
The chairman of the committee, Larry Ven Bawa assured to address the challenges facing the ministry.
He said that the committee would effectively partner with the ministry in order to tackle quackery in the sector and improve on the health of the people of the State.
Ven Bawa also said that the committee will make plans to visit private health institutions to assess their facilities.
