By Bala Dauda
The emir of Muri, Alhaji Abbas Tafida, has appealed to governments at all levels to provide more funds to the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, for subsidizing medical charges of its patients.
Tafida made the plea on Friday in Jalingo when the newly constituted governing board of the hospital paid him a courtesy visit.
He said although the hospital had recorded 60 to 70 percent success in infrastructure development and effective service delivery, more funds were required to augment the low income level of patients.
“ The doctors in the FMC are always ready and on a high spirit to help their patients.
“But you will agree with me that the facility can not provide drugs 100 percent or foot laboratory test bills of thousands of patients; they have to rely on the income of the patients.
“ When the patients do not have the income level to offset the bills then there is a big gap which may even demoralize the doctors.This is where the state and Federal Government must patiently intervene.
“ So it’s a situation that our commissioner of health here with us should pull off his shirt, get the governor and ensure he gets a large slice to help our people either in the FMC or the Specialists Hospital, Jalingo,” Tafida said.
Earlier, the board chairman, Mr. Oke Ezea, said their mission was to assist the management of FMC Jalingo in achieving its objective of providing decent health care service delivery.
While seeking for maximum cooperation of the emir and his subjects in running the hospital, he urged him to feel free and approach the board for any comment and observation regarding the hospital established in 2001.
Ezea assured the emir of the board’s determination to improve on the patients’ welfare, infrastructure development, staff motivation and satisfaction.
In his remarks, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Wiza Inusa, said constituting the board would enhance communication between the hospital and the Federal Ministry of Health.
He expressed optimism that the board members would use their experience and connections to attract more funding and equipment to the hospital.
The board, made up of 13 members, had earlier had its inaugural meeting which was followed by inspection of the recently constructed labour and amenity wards in the hospital.
