As part of its oversight functions, the Kogi State House of Assembly Committee on Health, led by its Chairman, Hon. Ochidi Usman Shehu, paid a visit to the Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2024.
During the visit, the committee commended the hospital’s management for delivering top-notch healthcare services to the people of Kogi State and beyond.
Hon. Ochidi praised the hospital’s continued leadership role as the state’s premier medical facility, stating that it has maintained its high standards even after the establishment of the Reference Hospital in Okene, built by the immediate past governor, Alh. Yahaya Adoza Bello.
He emphasized that the Specialist Hospital has remained steadfast in its mission to provide quality healthcare.
Ochidi noted that the purpose of their oversight visit was to assess the level of budget implementation in the last fiscal year and to explore how the committee could assist the hospital in preparing for the next budget cycle.
“Our role here is not just to monitor but also to see how we can make inputs that will strengthen the hospital’s operations in the upcoming budget presentation,” he remarked.
The Chairman also disclosed that several members of the 8th Assembly had conducted unannounced visits to the hospital, and were consistently impressed by the professionalism and dedication of the staff.
He encouraged the management to maintain the high standards that have earned them respect and recognition.
“Sometimes people say we aren’t speaking out, but we don’t need to shout when things are going well. If anything goes wrong, that’s when you’ll see us take action. So far, we have received no negative reports about the Kogi State Specialist Hospital, and if there were any, we would have summoned the CMD, as no one is above the law,” Hon. Ochidi remarked.
Hon. Comfort Ojoma Nwuchioba, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee and Deputy Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, also praised the hospital’s services, attributing them to the dedication of the management and staff, despite facing numerous challenges.
She recounted personal experiences, including testimonies from patients and her own interaction with the hospital during the time she brought her late father to the hospital morgue.
She urged the hospital staff to remain committed, noting the positive feedback she has received about their services.
Other committee members, including Hon. Asema Haruna and Hon. Otokiti Zakariya Alhassan encouraged the Chief Medical Director (CMD) to continue finding ways to motivate the hospital staff to sustain and even improve their impressive performance.
In his remarks, the CMD of Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Prof. Isah Yahaya Adagiri, expressed his gratitude to the committee for their oversight role and for their contributions to the development of the hospital through legislative measures.
He also thanked the Kogi State Government for its support, particularly in ensuring regular staff salaries and investing in world-class medical equipment, much of which has already been installed and will soon be operational.
Prof. Adagiri, however, lamented the impact of the ongoing “Japa” syndrome, where medical professionals are leaving Nigeria in search of better opportunities abroad.
He highlighted that the hospital loses at least one doctor a month, despite the government’s efforts to replace them.
The CMD noted that it has been difficult to meet the required personnel but assured the committee that the hospital would continue to deliver quality healthcare in line with the mandate of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee Dr. Peter Olukotun, expressed the hospital’s appreciation to the lawmakers for their time and commitment to improving healthcare delivery in the state.
