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Members of Nigeria’s Parliament on Thursday vowed to protect the sanctity of the office of Nigerian President by ensuring effective management of the State House Clinic which serves as the first point of call in case of a health-related emergency.
Magaji Aliyu, chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee investigating the deplorable state of the State House Clinic stated this during an interactive session with Ismaila Kawu, Senior Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House); Ita Enang, Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate); Osagie Ehanire, Minister of State for Health and representatives of Muhammad Bello, FCT Minister, held at the National Assembly complex, Abuja.
Aliyu and other lawmakers who expressed grave concerns over the presentations of both Ministers, who claimed ignorance of activities of the State House Clinic, frowned at the poor management of the facility by previous administrations.
He said: “The summary of the whole thing is that the clinic is just there, it is not supervised and is not under anybody.
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“The Ministry of Health and FCT said they are not aware, meaning the hospital is just there. I want all information on the clinic. We can’t afford to risk the life of Mr President and somebody should be responsible.”According to the report presented by the State House Permanent Secretary to the Magaji Aliyu-led Ad-hoc Committee, out of 329 personnel working in the State House Clinic, 47 non-core medical personnel for several years illegally collecting call-duty allowances.
He also alleged that some doctors sponsored by the State House to proceed on Residency Programmes (usually 2 years), got their call duty allowances paid “even though they are no longer performing call duties at the Medical Centre.
“Sadly, some of them were discovered to have spent close to 7 years doing a residency, with many changing institutions, as they fail to qualify. In view of the fact that paying doctors on sponsored Training programmed call duty allowance was considered unearned allowances, IPPIS (OAGF) was advised to cease paying them such allowances pending their return to duty fro training. This has, however, become controversial and we are reviewing with the assistance of the Federal Ministry of Health ho are guiding us appropriately,” the Permanent Secretary told the lawmakers.
The Permanent Secretary also blamed 80 percent of the State House workers and their spouses for enjoying free medical services, despite their failure to enlist on the State House Clinic’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).”The State House reached an agreement with HMOs with regard to the remittance of all NHIS payments in respect of State House Staff whose NHIS point is the State House Medical Centre. It is instructive, however, to note that whereas almost 80% of the personnel serving in the State House access medical services at the State House Medical Centre, only about 20% of them selected the medical Centre as their NHIS point.
“The implication of the foregoing is that, whereas they access free medical services at the Centre, their respective NHIS contributions go to those medical facilities they selected as their providers, even though they do not go there for any medical service. This explains the quick depletion of the drugs and other consumables due to the very high number of patients being attached,” he said.
While responding to questions from the lawmakers, Osagie Ehanire, Minister of State for Health explained that the clinic is not directly under the Federal Ministry of Health and does not know who is directly in-charge.
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“The State House Clinic is not directly under my ministry. I don’t know who is directly in-charge. I didn’t say that it is not under anybody, maybe under the FCT.
“It is not unusual that the clinic is not under the ministry, this is also applicable in some states. This is what we met on ground,” Ehanire explained.
On who appoints the doctors for the clinic and their status, the Minister said, “I am not aware of the status of the training of the doctors practicing in the clinic. The choice of who heads the clinic lies on the President. It is the prerogative of the President.”
Speaking further on the Clinic, Ehanire explained that the clinic is supposed to be operated along with regular hospitals.
On her part, Amanda Pam, Secretary, FCT Health Secretariat who noted that the State House Clinic was not under the FCT administration’s purview, disclosed that 16 public hospitals were registered across the territory.
According to her, 12 general hospitals and four teaching hospitals excluding State House Clinic are being supervised by the administration.
In his intervention, Sulaiman Kawu, Senior Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, explained that the State Clinic is being operated as the National Assembly Clinic, adding that the clinic is managed by somebody.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
