Presidency to commercialise State House clinic
- The State House Medical Centre is the only health centre in Abuja where patients are not required to pay before consultation
- The permanent secretary, State House, Jalal Arabi, says the clinic will be commercialised to boost its revenue
- The minister of state for education, Anthony Anwukah, travels to the United States for medical treatment
The State House Medical Centre (SHMC), which currently offers largely free medical services to patients at Ask Rock, is to be commercialised to offer qualitative and efficient services, according to the permanent secretary, State House, Jalal Arabi.
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Arabi made the disclosure on Wednesday, October 4, in a press statement issued by Attah Esa, the deputy director of information State House.
He said the commercialisation of the clinic will boost its revenue and augment the appropriation it receives from the government in the quest for a better qualitative service.
‘The Centre is the only health centre in Abuja where patients are not required to pay any dime before consultation.
‘‘In other government hospitals in Abuja, patients are required to pay for consultation, treatment, laboratory tests and others but that has not been the case with the State House Medical Centre.
‘‘The Centre offers free services, nobody pays a kobo for hospital card, consultations or prescriptions and this has taken a toll on the subvention the Centre receives from the government.
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‘‘We have some of the best equipment in the country. For instance, to maintain the MRI and other scan machines, we spend close to N2 million monthly. Yet we do not charge a dime for those who require MRI scans in the clinic,’’ the permanent secretary said.
According to him, the proposed reforms will ensure that those eligible to use the Centre are NHIS complaint with their Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) or primary health provider domiciled in the clinic.
See the full statement from the State House below:
Meanwhile, the minister of state for education, Anthony Anwukah, has traveled to the United States for medical treatment.
Anwukah’s medical trip was disclosed on Tuesday, October 3, by the minister of education, Adamu Adamu, at a press briefing on the 2017 World Teachers’ Day in Abuja, Premium Times reports.
Adamu urged those at the event pray for the speedy recovery of Anwukah, but stopped short of disclosing the ailment the junior minister was being treated for.
Anwukah's medical trip comes less than six weeks after President Muhammadu Buhari returned from medical treatment in the United Kingdom.
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Source: Legit.ng
