220-BED UTAKO DISTRICT HOSPITAL PROJECT TO BE REVIVED, AS FCT EXCO CONSTITUTES COMMITTEE

By: Ben Ukeji and Prudence Okonna

Determined to realise the dreams of making Abuja a medical hub in the West Africa sub region, the FCT Executive Committee (EXCO), has set up a high-powered committee to look into issues surrounding the abandoned Utako District Hospital in the Phase II of the Federal Capital City, Abuja.

The FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, who chaired the FCT Executive Committee Meeting held at Gwarinpa I District, Monday, in Abuja, approved the establishment of the high-powered committee, after a presentation on the activities and programmes of the Health and Human Services Secretariat.
A statement from the Director, Information and Communication , FCT, Muhammad Hazat Sule, said the Minister restated the commitment of his Administration in ensuring that the Hospital project is revived and completed to further improve health service delivery in the Territory.

The Minister noted that Abuja is growing geometrically in its population and therefore, requires diligent planning for the provision of healthcare facilities to cater for the fast-changing demographic growth.

He stated that he has personally visited the hospital project site to ascertain the incumbrances hindering the completion of the project and imagined the quantum of healthcare services that the hospital would have been rendering to the public if the project was completed as conceived.

Bello said Administration’s desire to revive the hospital was in the best interest of the residents and charged the committee to ensure that all matters that led to abandoning of the hospital project are identified and brought to the attention of the EXCO within two weeks.

The Utako District Hospital is conceived as 220-Bed hospital to provide qualitative healthcare services to the residents of the Federal Capital Territory especially those residents within the area.

The committee, which has 14 days to summit a comprehensive report to the EXCO, is chaired by the FCT General Counsel / Secretary, Legal Services Secretariat, Muhammad Umar. Other members of the Committee are Secretary, Health & Human Services Secretariat, Dr. Abubakar Tafida; Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Umar Shauib; and the Director, Public Building (FCDA), Architect Adebowale Ademo; while the Legal services Secretariat will provide the Secretariat for the Committee.