Janet Samuel, Abuja
The Senate has passed a bill to establish Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lokoja
The bill was sponsored by the Senator representing Kogi West, Smart Adeyemi
The bill that seeks to amend the Teaching Hospitals (Reconstitution of Boards, etc.) Act 2004 passed through public hearing two months ago.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Yahaya Oloriegbe of Kwara Central while presenting the report explained that the amendment to the Teaching Hospitals Act, seeks to give full legislative recognition to the Federal University Lokoja Teaching Hospital.
He noted that every Institution needs to be backed by an enabling law, saying against this background that the bill is before the chamber.
He explained that presently, training facilities in the health sector are inadequate for the current population and projected population growth for Nigeria, currently out at 3 percent per annum.
“Therefore, establishing the Federal University Lokoja Teaching Hospital will address this gap among others”, Oloriegbe explained.
He added that the bill seeks to amend the First Schedule to the Principal Act to include the Federal University Lokoja Teaching Hospital.
“By this amendment, it creates a legal backing for the Federal University Lokoja Teaching Hospital”, he said.
The Bill to amend the Teaching Hospitals Act 2004, was passed by the chamber during plenary, after a clause-by-clause consideration by the Committee of the Whole.
