Kogi State House of Assembly has appealed to the state government to direct the State Ministry of Health to upgrade the Ikoyi Health Center to a full general hospital.
The House also appealed to the state government to give approval for the provision of necessary personnel, medical equipment, essential drugs, modern infrastructure and logistics required to transform the health centre to a functional general hospital.
These were the resolutions of the House after the member representing Ijumu State Constituency, Hon Ishaya Omotayo Adeleye , moved a motion on matters of urgent public importance on the need to upgrade the Ikoyi health center to a General Hospital during plenary sitting.
According to her, Ikoyi community in Ijumu Local Government Area of the state is densely populated but lacks a general hospital, adding that this dearth denies the residents access to quality health facilities and make them vulnerable.
Omotayo added that she was concerned that the only available health care facility being managed by the Local Government was grossly underfunded, understaffed and poorly equipped which have made it incapable of meeting the health care of the people.
She said upgrading the health care center to a full fledged General Hospital would address the health needs of the people, served as referral centre for the community and its environs as well as provide prompt and seamless health care services to Ikoyi and its environs.
Seconding the motion, member representing Omala State Constituency, Hon Umar Yahaya said the population of Ikoyi has greatly increased today as compared to the colonial era when the health center was established, pointing out that the present primary health center has become grossly inadequate to cater for the health needs of Ikoyi residents.
Also, member representing Ankpa II State Constituency, Hon Ibrahim Abbas said he strongly supported the motion in view of the accident that occurred over the weekend in his presence and there was no immediate health care to cater for the emergency.
Ruling on the motion, the Speaker, Rt Hon Aliyu Umar Yusuf who doubles as member representing Lokoja II State Constituency commended the state government on the 70 health centres being renovated across the 21 LGAs in the state, adding that bidding for another 84 health centers were ongoing, pointing out that the aforesaid indicated that the state government really cared for Kogites health wise.
The Speaker directed the Clerk to convey the House resolutions to the state government.
