By Ahmad Sajoh
Blessings of Almighty God come in different shades and hues. Perhaps sometimes we fail to realize what these blessings portend even when they are there.
The legal provisions creating two Federal Medical Centres in Adamawa state in addition to a Teaching Hospital is a huge blessing for all of us. Those who think it has to be “either or” between Mubi and Hong are either ignorant or ungrateful to God Almighty. Why can’t we both celebrate the existence of two Tertiary Hospitals in our neighbouring communities?
That is the list expected of all patriots. The two hospitals are complementary rather than competitive.
When Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed, a.k.a Binani ensured that the Modibbo Adama University of Technology had been converted to a conventional university with a college of medicine, it was not just for Yola or Binani’s Senatorial District alone. It was meant to serve the whole of Adamawa state. And it was spot-on, because Adamawa State is long overdue for a Teaching Hospital. The Medical Doctors that will be produced by the College of Medicine and the Teaching Hospital shall be our children in Adamawa state and others from all over Nigeria and beyond.
It is therefore a joyful thing that Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed, a.k.a Binani had thought it necessary to propose that a Federal Medical Centre be established in Mubi.
Luckily for the people of Adamawa state another competent legislator from Hong in the person of Yusuf Captain Buba equally proposed an FMC for Hong.
God in his infinite mercy blessed us with both Federal Medical Centers. We are supposed to congratulate ourselves, promote all three Federal Government Tertiary Hospitals in our dear state and ensure they serve the best interest of our people.
Anyone who displays hostility towards the establishment of one out of the three is truly misguided. All three will enhance and improve quality healthcare delivery service and medical training in our state. None will diminish the other. They will support each other and provide their services to our people.
A lot of people are of the opinion that Adamawa state cannot have more than two Tertiary Federal Government Hospitals. That argument is weak and not supported by facts on ground. It is also defeatist.
In Edo state there are two Teaching Hospitals, one in Benin, the other in Irua. There is also a Federal Orthopedic Hospital in Edo state. Kaduna state has four Federal Government Tertiary Hospitals, Lagos has three, Enugu has four while the FCT has four.
If therefore it is our luck to have more than two in our state, so be it. Why will anyone feel that one location should not have an FMC because another had got it? I believe we must be patriotic enough to support any development project that comes to our state.
There are those who are still confused due to the existence of two Gazettes on the FMC issues. There is an existing Federal Government Gazette No. 109 of 24th October, 2022, which gave legal backing to all FMCs in Nigeria. These 21 number FMCs are listed in the second schedule with FMC Hong as part of the list. A section 26 repealed the law establishing the FMC Hong. That should not be a source of concern for both FMC Hong and Mubi.
In the case of Hong, this new law, which gave legal backing to all FMCs that were operating without a legal backing now includes Hong. At the time of the passage of this law, the FMC Mubi bill had not received a presidential ascent.
However if you go on a search for FMCs in Nigeria you will be told they are 22. However, on that schedule it’s 21. The ascent of the president to the bill FMC Mubi makes it the 22nd as listed in the search engine detailing FMCs in Nigeria.
But as regards to that law that recognizes the FMCs in Nigeria, FMC Mubi stands alone as a legal entity recognized vide Federal Government Gazette No. 209 of 29th November 2022.
There are both advantages and disadvantages to this situation. As a stand alone if the Federal Government decides to provide those listed on Gazette No. 189 with specific amenities or services they are not duty bound to include FMC Mubi. However, if the Government decides to provide anything special to FMC Mubi on the strength of the law establishing it, they are not duty bound to provide the same to the 21 listed in the other law.
Whichever way it goes, it is a huge advantage to Adamawa state to have a Teaching Hospital and two Federal Medical Centers. Kudos to the major promoters of these laudable projects particularly Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed a.k.a Binani and Hon. Yusuf Captain Buba.
We must also appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari for being magnanimous enough to sign all the laws that provided for a Teaching Hospital and two Federal Medical Centers in Adamawa State into Law. We are indeed grateful.
On a final note, let me advise that the three Federal Government Tertiary Hospitals in Adamawa State should work in synergy and serve collectively as centres of excellence for both service delivery and training of quality medical personnel. There is nothing wrong in each one of them specializing in some areas that will engender collaboration. Referrals should not only be from General Hospitals within the state, but could also be made between them based on their areas of core competencies. That is what we expect from them.
For example there are two Teaching Hospitals in Edo state, while the one in Benin is general in focus, the Teaching Hospital in Irua specializes in communicable diseases. Thus, the biggest and best communicable diseases laboratory in Nigeria is located in Irua. That is how to extract maximum advantages from the three Tertiary Hospitals in Adamawa State.
Let it be to our advantage that we have two Federal Medical Centers and a Teaching Hospital in Adamawa State. For Mubi and Hong, it is not a situation of “either or”, it is a situation of double advantage and double blessings for the people of Adamawa state, part of Borno state and even the neighbouring Cameroon Republic; that is a bottom line.
Ahmad Sajoh writes from 35 Oran Street off Olusegun Obasanjo way Wuse Zone 1 Abuja Nigeria.
