Buhari approves three Orthopedic Hospitals in Edo, Plateau, Taraba

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment of three additional orthopedic hospitals.

Health Minister, Osagie Ehanire, made the announcement on Wednesday at the inauguration of the Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge at the State House.

The event was organised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) in collaboration with development partners. Ehanire disclosed that the President approved siting of the orthopedic hospital in three regions.

“North-East has one; the North-Central has one and the South-South has one; in Benin, Jos and Jalingo respectively”.

Finance Minister, Zainab Ahmed said N471.9 billion had been disbursed to states under the $1.5billion World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme.

She added that all the 36 states had fully domesticated the fiscal reforms in their public financial management system.

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It would be recalled that on August 5th 2021, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, Member, Representing Ovia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives sponsored a Bill seeking to amend the Orthopaedic Hospitals Management Board Act CAP 010 LFN 2004 to establish the National Orthopaedic Hosptal in Okhunmwun, Ovia North East LGA, Edo State, in the South-South geopolitical zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He noted that the Hospital is to be under the management of the Orthopaedic Hospitals Management Board and affiliated with the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) to provide specialized orthopaedic treatment and medical services.

In his words “the establishment of the Orthopaedic Hospital, Okhunmwun is warranted as it would serve all the States in the South-South geopolitical zone, and other neighboring States.”

“As things stand, there is no government owned orthopedic hospital that provides specialized orthopedic treatment and medical services to the entire South-South geopolitical zone (Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River). Over 29 million people in the South-South access orthopaedic treatment at faraway Enugu or Igbobi, Lagos.”