*Tunji Alausa, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, says the 50 percent electricity subsidy will help to reduce the running costs for Nigerian public hospitals, and alleviate the impact on patients

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

The Federal Government has approved a 50 percent electricity subsidy for public hospitals across the country.

Tunji Alausa, Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, announced this development Thursday, August 29, 2024, at the National Neo-Psychiatric Hospital in Barnawa, Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria.

Alausa commissioned the Electronic Health Records and Alternative Power Supply at the Lawal Jafaru Isah Emergency Complex and the solarisation project at the dialysis unit, which includes a solar-powered borehole and a 10.2 KVA inverter at the Abdulkareem Jika Yusuf COVID-19 Intervention Centre in the state.

The Minister stated the gesture aimed to reduce the running costs for public hospitals and alleviate the impact on patients.

He equally announced plans to rename the hospitals as Specialist Hospitals, so as to broaden healthcare service delivery.

Alausa further stated: 鈥淲e are going to change the names of our Federal Hospitals to Specialist Hospitals to expand care delivery and destigmatise hospitals so that everybody can come here.

鈥淲hile the core services will remain psychiatric, this renaming will allow for the continuous expansion of services鈥� in these Federal health institutions.

The warning strike by Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) is complicating efforts at securing the release of kidnapped Doctor Ganiyat Popoola from the hospital staff quarters.

The Minister, therefore, appealed for calm while assuring the hospital Management that the abducted medical doctor would return soon.