FCT Minister Muhammad Bello says the FCT Administration (FCTA) has no plans whatsoever to shut the Garki District Hospital.
The information is in a statement issued by Mr Anthony Ogunleye, the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister in Abuja on Thursday.
Ogunleye stated that the minister gave the assurance when he received executive members of the FCT branch of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA).
He quoted the minister as saying “the 15-year concession agreement signed between the FCTA and Nisa Medical Group on the management of the hospital expires on Thursday, March 31.
“After which, the hospital reverts back to the FCTA to enable the administration to provide for more public hospital bed spaces.”
Bello said that contrary to rumours making the rounds, the FCTA had no plans to disrupt operations of the hospital even for a single day following the expiration of the 15-year concession agreement.
He added that “FCT Administration is not terminating the Garki District Hospital Concession.
“The situation is that an agreement was entered 15 years ago and mutually accepted by the FCT Administration and Nisa Medical Group.
“It was an agreement that had a commencement date and an expiration date. So, by virtue of the agreement, it is supposed to expire on Thursday, March 31, so, it is not the FCT terminating the agreement.”
Bello explained that the idea of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement was very good, adding that “as a matter of fact, after that PPP, we have done a couple of PPPs in infrastructure.
“Even within our existing hospitals, we are now working on a model where specialised departments would be run on PPP arrangement.
“The whole idea is to expand the hospital and the specialty space. So, we are not terminating anything. It’s an agreement that is going to lapse.”
Bello said the government has the responsibility to provide healthcare to residents of the FCT and shutting the hospital would go contrary to that responsibility.
“So, how could we just shut our hospital, while we have been given the mandate to provide healthcare.
“Many people had told me that the Garki District Hospital would be shut; that many people would lose their jobs; I just find it difficult to comprehend, quite frankly. How can a government just shut a hospital?.”
The minister assured that FCTA officials and the Nisa Medical Group would work on modalities moving forward, adding that whatever arrangement was reached thereafter would be in the best interest of residents of the territory.
“It will also be in the best interests of other patrons of the hospital outside the FCT,” he added.
He also assured that all medical professionals working or training at the hospital who wished to remain there were free to do so, stressing that the FCT Administration had no intention to disrupt activities at the hospital.
He commended the NMA for the support to the FCT Administration.
Earlier, the FCT NMA Chairman, Dr Enema Amodu, had expressed concern over FCTA’s decision to terminate the concession agreement of Garki District Hospital with Nisa Medical Group.
He said, “If for other reasons the FCTA deems it fit not to renew the concession with NISA Medical Group, the administration should consider the doctors and other health workers presently working in the hospital with a view to retaining their services and to complete their programmes such as residency training and internship.”
He however commended the minister on achievements in infrastructure development in the FCT and reaffirmed NMA’s commitment to partner with the administration.
