The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to provide a legal framework for the establishment of the Federal Medical Centre, Owutu Eda, Ebonyi State.
A statement by Ezrel Tabiowo, the media aide to President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, says the passage of the Federal Medical Centre Owutu Eda (Establishment) Bill, 2021, followed consideration of a report by the Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary)
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe, in his presentation, said the bill seeks to provide for the Federal Medical Centre, Owutu Eda, and make provisions for its due management and administration.
According to the lawmaker, the establishment of the medical Centre was informed by the need to bridge the existing gap between primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare delivery in Ebonyi State and Nigeria as a whole.
“There is the need to bring tertiary healthcare closer to the people which this bill seeks to achieve”, he said.
Oloriegbe noted that the Centre when established would provide facilities for diagnostic and rehabilitative services in medical treatment; as well as operate as a centre for research.
Meanwhile, a bill seeking to establish the Federal University Gusau Teaching Hospital on Tuesday scaled second reading in the Senate.
The bill which was sponsored by Senator Ya’u Sahabi Alhaji (APC, Zamfara North), after consideration was referred by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, to the Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary) for further inputs.
The Committee was given four weeks to report back to the Senate.
In a related development, a bill seeking the establishment of the Federal College of Education, Ekiadolor, also passed second reading.
Sponsored by Senator Matthew Urhoghide (PDP, Edi South), the bill after consideration was referred to the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND.
The Committee which is chaired by Senator Ahmad Baba Kaita is expected to report back to the upper chamber in four weeks.
