Lawmakers Calls for Increased Budgetary Allocation to UDUTH in Sokoto

The Chairman House Representative Committee on Health Institutions, Mr Amos Magaji, has call on federal government to increase budgetary allocation to Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital for effective healthcare services delivery.

Mr Amos Magaji made the call when he led the members of the committee for an oversight visit to the hospital in Sokoto state.

He said considering the 2022 and 2023 budget of the hospital the amount appropriated will not be enough to shoulder the hospital responsibilities.

“Looking at the recent previous years budget, we have discovered that the amount appropriated is by far less than the load the hospital is responding to annually.

“This is a 900 bed capacity hospital operating different healthcare services, and the money appropriated to the hospital is less the one appropriated to 500 bed capacity hospitals.

“We have taken note of that and we would continue to engage with the management of this hospital to see what the national assembly can do to improve funding to this health institution,” the Committee Chairman said.

He expressed satisfaction with the transformation by the Chief Medical Director of the hospital which include infrastructural development and high level functional equipment placed at various units and departments.

“Today we are in radiology complex which was inaugurated four months ago where cancer treatments and other hospital services are taking place.

“What we have seen here I don’t think any patients in sokoto and around needs to go anywhere or town to seek for medical treatment,” he added.

Amos Magaji urged people around the north western region to always patronize and utilise the well level equipment in the hospital for their overall health benefits.

“There is no need for them to travel out of the country to seek for medical tourism, as this hospital has over 100 consultant doctors in different field.

“We want Nigerians to trust our doctors, trust our health institutions so that we can access and receive effective healthcare services delivery.

“The amount of money our people spent abroad to seek for medical services abroad is enough to reposition and revamp our government hospital if bring back to the country,” he further noted.

The Chairman of the committee, however, called on the management to improve their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to enable them cater for pressing needs within the hospital.

Also speaking at the visit, the Chief Medical Director (CMD)of the Hospital, Professor Anas Sabir, commended the committee for the oversight visit to the health institution.

The CMD expressed hope that the house of representative committee interventions would assist the hospital to overcome its challenges bedeviling the hospital operations which include electricity, insufficient medical equipment and among others.

The highlight of the oversight visit was assessing the performance of the CT scan machine as well as the Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine.

The team of Eight (8) led by the Chairman Hon. Amos Gwamna Magaji includes: Hon. Mani Maishinko (Sokoto), Hon. Aminu Jamo (Daura-Katsina), Hon. Abubakar Yahaya Kusada (Kusada-Katsina), Hon. Garba Salisu Koko (Koko-Kebbi), Hon. Emil Iyang (Cross Rivers), Mr. Akilu Abbas (clerk of the Committee) and Engr. Seth Bakut Mnse (Head of Projects).