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A member of the House of Representatives says the House will support the campaign for the privatisation and commercialisation of the federal teaching hospitals, to enhance efficiency and better healthcare delivery. The Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Amos Magaji, who represents Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, disclosed this to journalists on Saturday evening, after the committee’s oversight visit to Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria. Mr Magaji said the House of Representatives would support the initiative to strengthen service delivery, adding that the federal government should also take a critical look into health insurance, and increase its capitation before venturing into such a project.

He added that the health insurance should capture senior citizens aged 70 years and above into the scheme because, with good capitation from health insurance, people will be able to pay their bills when the hospitals are commercialised. “At the moment, there is a huge burden of out-of-pocket expenses on health, and so if you privatise or commercialise the National Teaching Hospital, it is similar to giving Nigerians death sentences,’’ Mr Magaji said. The chairman said governance was for the people, and as such, government policies should have a human face and align with the people’s aspirations.



On the visit to ABUTH, Mr Magaji expressed the committee’s dissatisfaction over the number of personnel of the hospital, noting.

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