President Muhammadu Buhari has
directed that the State House Medical Centre (SHMC) be reverted to a Clinic to
serve the original purpose of its establishment.
A statement by Deputy Director
(Information), State House Media Unit, Mr Attah Esa, said the Permanent
Secretary, State House, Mr Jalal Arabi, announced this on Monday in Abuja, NAN
reports.
Arabi had appeared before the
Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs for the
2019 budget defence.
The Permanent Secretary said,
‘‘without prejudice to what is currently obtainable at SHMC, the intention to
revert to a clinic is a Presidential directive.
Later, Arabi explained to
journalists after the budget defence that the reversion of the Centre to a
Clinic was a case of ‘‘cutting one’s coat according to your cloth.’’
He said: ‘‘It was initially meant
to serve the first and second families and those working within and around the
Villa.
‘‘The overstretching of
facilities at the Medical Centre by patients is some of the challenges the
Centre has been going through. It wasn’t meant for that purpose.
‘‘Nobody was charging anyone for
any services and relying on appropriation means we will depend on subvention
when it comes to run the Centre.
‘‘Whatever comes is what you
utilise and if the last patient comes in to take the last drugs based on the
last budgetary release, that is it and we have to wait till another release is
done.
‘‘But this new development means
that services will be streamlined to a clinic that will serve those that it was
meant to serve when it was conceived.’’
Arabi disclosed that the Centre
had a total budget of N1.03 billion in the 2018 appropriation, with N698 million
as capital expenditure and N331.7 million as overhead cost.
According to him, the total
overhead expenditure released for the Centre from January-December 2018 is
N331.7 million, representing 99.9 per cent while the capital releases on
projects is N231.9 million, representing 33.2 per cent.
In his remarks, the Chairman of
the Committee, Sen. Danjuma La’ah (PDP-Kaduna South) welcomed the proposal to
make the SHMC fully functional and ensure that members of the first and second
families used the facilities at the clinic.
La’ah promised that committee
will support full funding for the Clinic and commended the 2018 budget
performance in State House, compared to previous years, despite revenue
challenges.
‘‘Considering the strategic
importance of State House they are not supposed to lack funds and we will keep
encouraging them to utilise releases effectively,’’ he said.
The Centre was a focal point
during the 2-hour presentation and budget defence by the Permanent Secretary
before the Senate Committee.
The State House 2019 budget
proposal of N14.3 billion is slightly lower than the 2018 Appropriation of
15.47 billion by 7.1 per cent.
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