Senate Endorses New Tertiary Health Institutions For Ekiti, Nasarawa

The Senate has endorsed the establishment of two federal health universities in Ekiti and Nasarawa states.

The bills are the Federal University of Health and Medical Sciences Iyin, Ekiti State (Establishment) Bill, 2021, and Federal University Lafia Teaching Hospital (Establishment) Bill, 2021.

The passage of both bills followed the presentation and clause by clause consideration of two separate reports by the Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary).

Sponsored by Senators Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), and Tanko Al-Makura (APC, Nasarawa South), the legislation seek to promote and emphasize teaching, research and extension of knowledge in the field of medicine and environmental sciences.

The bills to achieve the goal sailed third reading this week at plenary presided over by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.

The committee chairman, Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara Central), said the proposed Nasarawa medical facility was “necessitated by the precarious health conditions faced by residents.”

The Ekiti’s, he noted, seeks to promote and emphasis teaching, research, and extension of knowledge in the field of medicine and environmental sciences.

The upper legislative chamber also sanctioned the third reading of the bill to amend the University Teaching Hospitals (Reconstitution of Boards) Act.

Oloriegbe explained that the bill moves to amend the First Schedule to the Principal Act to include the University Teaching Hospital, Lafia and Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, thereafter referred the bill to the Senator Ahmad Baba-led Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND and was directed to report back in four weeks.