The House of Representatives has called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) healthcare system, urging the release of emergency funds to upgrade hospitals, recruit medical personnel, and procure critical medical equipment.
During its plenary session on Wednesday, the House passed a resolution mandating the Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the FCT Administration, to conduct an immediate assessment of health facilities in the FCT. The goal is to identify priority areas for expansion, upgrades, and targeted resource allocation.
Lawmakers also called for the development of a long-term healthcare infrastructure plan that aligns with the FCT’s rapidly growing population, ensuring the delivery of sustainable, high-quality healthcare services.
These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance presented by Hon. Nnamdi Ezechi, who represents Ndokwa East/Ndokwa West/Ukwuani federal constituency of Delta State.
While presenting the motion, Ezechi raised concerns over the deteriorating state of healthcare services in the nation’s capital. He described the system as severely overstretched, citing a critical shortage of hospital bed spaces, medical personnel, and inadequate infrastructure.
“The FCT’s population has grown significantly over the past two decades, but many government hospitals remain unchanged, with little or no expansion to meet the increasing demand,” Ezechi said.
He stressed that the consequences of this neglect are dire, with patients often left without care or forced to wait for hours due to limited bed availability and under-resourced facilities leading to preventable deaths.
Ezechi further warned that the acute shortage of healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, and support staff, has worsened the crisis, compromising the quality of care and overburdening the few available personnel.
“If urgent steps are not taken, the FCT healthcare system could face a full-blown crisis, endangering residents’ right to health and their overall well-being,” he added.
The lawmaker proposed a strategic overhaul of FCT health infrastructure and a comprehensive recruitment campaign to bolster medical capacity and improve health outcomes.
In adopting the motion, the House also encouraged the FCT Administration to collaborate with the private sector, health stakeholders, and international health agencies to enhance capacity in the short term while working toward sustainable, long-term healthcare reforms.
