The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to stay action on the termination of the Concession Agreement on the Garki General Hospital, Abuja pending the outcome of its investigation into the issue. The House Committee on Privatization and Commercialization, and Health Institutions was mandated on Thursday to conduct the investigation and report back in a week.
The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion on the urgent need to Save Over 900 medical officers from losing their jobs over the termination of Public-Private-Partnership Concession Agreement on Garki General Hospital, Abuja, sponsored by Rep. Benjamin Bem Mzondu, Rep. Yunusa Abubakar Ahmed and Rep. Kakale Shehu Balarabe:
Rep. Mzondu, in his lead debate noted that in 2007, the Federal Government through the Federal Capital Territory Executive Committee authorized the concession of Garki General Hospital, Abuja on a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) arrangement to a competent Private Healthcare Provider on the basis of a Public-Private Partnership for a period of 15 years.
“In March 2007 the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) signed a concession agreement with NISA Premier Hospital to manage the Garki General Hospital Abuja on a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
“The FCT administration on March 1, 2022, gave the management of the hospital notice to vacate and hand over the facility by April 1, 2022, following the expiration of the concession agreement and the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with NISA Premier Hospital”.
According to him, over 900 workers comprising of consultants, medical doctors, house officers, nurses, patient care attendants, pharmacists, medical record officers, laboratory scientists and other technicians may lose their jobs.
In order to forestall such development, the lawmaker recalled that the management of the hospital had written severally to the FCT administration for a review of the concession agreement without any response until March 1 2022 when the FCT administration sent a letter terminating the Concession Agreement with NISA Premier Hospital with the intention to take over the facility and hand over to another concessionaire.
“The short notice of termination of the concession agreement and takeover of the Garki Hospital by the FCT Administration may lead to the displacement of over 3000 patients with different health conditions, and many highly sensitive expensive world-class medical equipment may be damaged as much longer time is needed to be re-calibrated before removal and sudden termination notice which is not in tandem with PPP agreements according to Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission Act;
“The one-month notice given the concessionaire (NISA Premier Hospital) to vacate the Hospital premises may be inadequate and contrary to Article 2.2 of the Concession Agreement and Regulation 29 of the Guidelines on Public-Private Partnership pursuant to the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) Act which specifies that a transition Committee made up of parties to the Concession Agreement and the ICRC be constituted to wind down the agreement within a period of 36 months”, he added.
Rep. Yunusa Ahmed in his contribution noted that the House does not intend to halt the process, but to ensure that the procedure follows due process, considering the wellbeing of all parties involved, including the medical personnel as well as the patients at the hospital. He called for a seamless transition to the new owners.
The investigating Committee was expected to report back to the house within a week for further legislative action.