The House of Representatives on Wednesday raised concerns over the deteriorating state of public hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), saying that a total collapse of the healthcare system is imminent unless urgent action is taken.

The Green Chamber lamented that FCT hospitals and medical facilities are being severely overstretched, which has resulted in a critical shortage of bed spaces and medical personnel.

Adopting a motion sponsored by Nnamdi Ezechi during plenary on Wednesday, the lawmakers urged the Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the FCT Administration, to immediately assess the state of health facilities in the FCT with the aim of identifying critical areas for expansion, upgrade, and resource allocation.

Moving his motion, Ezechi said that the population of the FCT has surged significantly over the past two decades, while many of the existing government hospitals were constructed several years ago, with little or no expansion to match the growing demand for healthcare services.

He noted that patients in need of critical medical attention are often left unattended or subjected to long waiting hours due to the unavailability of hospital beds and the limited capacity of existing facilities.

He said this has led to preventable loss of lives daily.

According to him, a lack of sufficient medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers, further exacerbates the crisis and has reduced the quality of care and increased the burden on the few available staff.

He warned that if immediate interventions are not made, the healthcare crisis may escalate to unmanageable levels.

The lawmaker suggested that a strategic review and upgrade of health infrastructure in the FCT, along with a comprehensive recruitment drive for medical professionals, would address the urgent needs and ensure better health outcomes.

After his submission, the House resolved to constitute an ad-hoc committee to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the current state of healthcare facilities in the FCT and submit a report within four weeks with recommendations for improvement.

The lower chamber also called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the healthcare system of the FCT and ensure that emergency funds are released for the upgrade of hospitals, recruitment of medical personnel, and acquisition of critical medical equipment.

It encouraged the FCT Administration to partner with private sector stakeholders and international health agencies to boost capacity in the short term while long-term solutions are being implemented.