The Federal Government today announced the approval of 50% electricity subsidy for all public hospitals and public tertiary institutions including universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education nationwide.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this disclosure at the National Ear Care Centre, Kaduna, during the commissioning of several completed projects.
According to him, very soon hospitals and the public education system will be enjoying significant reductions in prices as the implementation plans and strategies are being developed by the Minister of Energy.
The minister explained: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has magnanimously approved 50 percent electricity subsidy to all public hospitals and education system; universities, polytechnic and colleges of educations. It has been approved.
“The process of implementation is being developed by the Honourable Minister of Energy. Very soon, hospitals and public education systems will be enjoying significant reductions in the prices they are paying currently for their energy tariff”, he added.
On the projects commissioned at the Hospital, Alausa noted that the initiative aligned with the present administration’s agenda to provide affordable and comprehensive healthcare to Nigerians.
He listed the facilities in the newly commissioned hospital as including an auditorium, student hostel, oxygen plant, molecular laboratory, and more, are crucial steps toward enhancing healthcare service delivery and medical training in the country.
The minister also spoke on the ongoing challenges in the healthcare sector, particularly the impact of the “Japa” syndrome on the availability of medical professionals, adding that government is making efforts to increase training quotas and improve remuneration for healthcare workers to encourage them to remain in the country.
He further outlined the Federal Ministry of Health’s plans to implement a national electronic medical system to revolutionize patient care and data management.
“This is impressive. This is what we are doing in the health sector. We need to talk more about the positive things we are doing in this country. President Ahmed Bola Tinubu is committed to revamping all the sectors of our economy, especially in the health sector where he is giving us all we want.
“As you can see, it’s public information, in the 2024 budget we have the highest budgetary allocation to health eve in the history of the country. We are commissioning projects like this. We are here today, at the ear care centre – one of the only hospitals that care for Ear, Nose, and Throat ailments. We went to the operating theatre, they have a dissecting microscope where you get minimal surgery done. This is what you get anywhere in the world. We have the services here.
“We need to celebrate our healthcare professionals for their hard work, and dedication to serving our citizens. We have also commissioned a student hostel. We care for our students as well.
“The government is doing everything to train our citizens and also to whom much is given, much is expected. We are training a lot of these students for free for medical, nursing, and medical laboratory scientists. The government is investing on them heavily in them, helping them to build their net ability for them.
“We need to give back to the country. It is a free world, we can’t say you can’t migrate abroad but then we need to also give back to our country. This president is committed to expanding and improving the human capacity index and that’s what he’s doing in every sector of the economy.
“Our country is in the right direction and I want to implore the citizens to be patient with this president. He knows what he is doing. Every promise he made to Nigerians, he will fulfill them and he’s already fulfilling a lot of his promises. Our country is in the right trajectory now and I want to implore fellow citizens to be positive about our country. This is the only country we have and this negativity must stop”, Alausa added
Speaking at the event, Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, commended the leadership of the National Ear Care Centre for its transformative efforts.
Balarable, who represented Governor Uba Sani during the commissioning of the facility, assured the management of the Centre of continued Kaduna State Government’s support in order to maintain its status as a leading institution in ENT care and research.
