Despite the N3.87bn allocated to it in the 2016 Appropriation Act, lack of drugs and other essential medical items have crippled operations at the State House Medical Centre, The PUNCH has learnt.
The
centre provides medical services to the President, Vice-President and their
families, aides, members of staff of the State House and other entitled public
servants.
It
is also a training facility for house officers and other medical personnel.
Investigations
by our correspondent showed that the centre located in Asokoro, a highbrow area
of the Federal Capital Territory, is gradually becoming a shadow of its old
self.
A
cross-section of the centre’s patients told The
PUNCH that patients were now being asked to go and buy drugs from
outside as they were no longer available in the centre.
Most
hit, it was further learnt, are patients with kidney problems who are currently
undergoing dialysis in the facility.
Although,
some of them are expected to be undergoing the dialysis at least twice a week,
the centre’s management has been cancelling such exercise lately, therefore
putting the lives of the patients at risk.
In
some instances when they attend to them, the patients are made to come with
some of the items the doctors will use for the exercise.
Our
correspondent learnt that the centre’s management had resorted to sending text
messages to patients on items they should bring for their treatment.
In
one of such messages sent to a patient which is in The PUNCH’s possession, the management wrote, “Mr.
XXX (names withheld), when u (sic) are coming for dialysis on Monday, buy IVF
Normal Saline to be used for ur (sic) dialysis. The office doesn’t have
it. Buy like four pieces.”
Normal
Saline IVF solution is used in the treatment, control, prevention and
improvement of conditions such as low sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium
levels as well as blood and fluid loss.
It
improves the patients’ condition by maintaining proper fluid balance and
keeping the tissues hydrated.
Another
patient who spoke with our correspondent said he had a crisis recently because
the centre cancelled his routine dialysis.
He
said the centre’s management cancelled the session because of non-availability
of bloodline.
He
showed our correspondent a message sent to him on the cancellation.
The
message read, “Gudevening (sic), we can’t dialize (sic) you tomorrow because we
don’t have bloodline.
When it is available, I will get back to you. Pls (sic) dialyse (sic) somewhere
else. Thanks.”
The
patient said the first time the session was cancelled, he was referred to a
private hospital in Garki where he paid N20,000.
He
added that when he could not afford the cost the second time, he was directed
to another hospital in Wuse.
“As
a result of the stress I passed through, by the time I returned home, I was
very weak. My health situation deteriorated midnight and my people rushed me to
the hospital. I was discharged about three days after,” he said.
Many
other patients who spoke with our correspondent said the medical centre could
no longer boast of “ordinary malaria drugs.”
“The
clinic does not even have ordinary paracetamol. Paracetamol was included in the
list of drugs they asked me to go and buy recently. Before now, they were
giving us drugs.” another patient said.
The
Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, did not pick his calls when our
correspondent attempted to get his reaction on Tuesday.
He
also did not respond to a text message sent to him on the issue.
The
Permanent Secretary, State House, Alhaji Jalal Arabi, had while defending the
State House’s budget before the Senate Committee on Federal Character and
Inter-governmental Affairs, and members of the House of Representatives
Committee on Special Duties disclosed that N3.2bn of the budget was earmarked
for the upgrade of State House Clinic to a Centre of Excellence.
Arabi
had said, “The budget for the State House Medical Centre included N3.219bn
proposed for the completion of ongoing work as well as procurement of drugs and
other medical equipment.
“The
Medical Centre provides health care treatment for the President and
Vice-President, their families as well as numerous civil servants working in
the State House and across the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of
government and of course, with due respect, including parliamentarians and
members of the legislature in addition to other notable dignitaries.
“Interestingly,
Mr. Chairman, on a lighter note, not only those that have been captured here
attend (the Medical Centre) there are poor of the poorest that attend because
we receive reference from Gwagwalada, Garki, Wuse hospitals.
“So,
if they come, we attend to them and interestingly too at no fee at all, we
don’t charge.
“The
anticipated improvement of the Medical Centre will propel it to serve as a
Centre of Excellence and also reduce medical tourism.
“May
I also add that the State House Medical Centre, unlike other medical centres
does not charge any fees for its services and hence does not generate any
revenue for itself.
Source:
The Punch
Tags
Society