The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has said that the FCT Administration has no plans whatsoever to shut down the Garki District Hospital.
The Minister gave the assurance when he received the Executive members of the FCT branch of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) led by its Chairman, Dr. Enema Job Amodu, on a courtesy visit to the FCTA
He explained that the 15 year concession agreement signed between the FCTA and the Nisa Medical Group on the management of the hospital expires on the March 31, 2022 after which the hospital reverts back to the FCTA to enable the Administration provide for more public hospital bed spaces.
Malam Bello stressed that contrary to rumours making the rounds, the FCTA has no plans to disrupt the operations of the hospital even for a single day following the expiration of the 15-year concession agreement.
The minister said : “The FCT Administration is not terminating the Garki District Hospital Concession. Even our distinguished Chairman here said terminate, but it’ not so. The situation is that an agreement was entered 15 years ago and mutually accepted by the FCT Administration and the Nisa Medical Group. It was an agreement that has a commencement date and an expiration date.
“So, by virtue of the agreement, it is supposed to expire on Thursday, 31st March 2022, a natural termination. So, it’s not the FCT terminating the agreement. That’s what we need to understand.”
The Minister said that the government has the responsibility to provide health care to residents of the FCT and shutting down the hospital will go contrary to that responsibility.
He said “So, how could we just shut our hospital, while we have been given a mandate to provide healthcare. So many people tell me that Garki hospital will be shut down, so many people will lose their jobs, I just find it difficult to comprehend, quite frankly. How can a government just shut a hospital?” he asked.
The Minister assured that FCTA officials and the Nisa Group would work on modalities moving forward, adding that whatever arrangement was reached thereafter will be in the best interest of residents of the Territory and other patrons of the hospital outside the FCT.
