August 30, (THEWILL) – The federal government has approved a 50 percent subsidy on electricity tariffs for public hospitals and tertiary institutions; including universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in the country.
This is coming amid an outcry by Federal universities over high electricity tariffs.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Thursday, while commissioning some projects at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital and National Eye Centre in Kaduna.
He said hospitals and the public education system would enjoy significant reductions in prices as the implementation plans and strategies were being developed by the Honourable Minister of Energy.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has magnanimously approved a 50 percent electricity subsidy to all public hospitals and education system; universities, polytechnic and colleges of education. It has been approved.
“The process of implementation is being developed by the Honourable Minister of Energy. Very soon, hospitals and public education systems will be enjoying significant reductions in the prices they are paying currently for their energy tariff”, he said.
Speaking on the projects commissioned at the Hospital, Dr Alausa noted that the developments align with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda to provide affordable and comprehensive healthcare to Nigerians.
The minister commissioned the Electronic Health Records and Alternative Power Supply at the Lawal Jafaru Isah Emergency Complex and the solarisation project at the dialysis unit, comprising a solar-powered borehole backed by a 10.2 KVA inverter with a lithium battery at Abdulkareem Jika Yusuf COVID-19 Intervention Centre at the psychiatric hospital.
Dr Alausa also disclosed plans to change the name of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital to a Specialist Hospital.
“The core services will still be psychiatric, but changing the terminology gives it the liberty to expand the services continuously. The success in the Hospital is a testimony to what our president, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, promised Nigerians during his campaign”, he said.
Also, at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, the Minister commissioned Dr G.O Adejor Optical Showroom and Dr M.B Alhassan Diagnostic and Laser Unit.
Earlier in her welcome address, the acting chief medical director of the eye centre, Dr Aminatu Abdulrahman, said the National Eye Centre was established in 1979 to provide specialist eye care services, manpower training and research for Nigeria.
She said the hospital has 300 beds situated on 514 hectares of land, which receives referrals from 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory as well as neighbouring countries
According to her, the Eye Centre has 650 staff members—369 (clinical) and 281 (non-clinical)—and has attended to about 53,406 outpatients. In 2023, 4653 surgeries were performed.
However, while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after the commissioning, the minister said the warning strike by doctors was complicating issues for the release of the kidnapped doctor from the Eye Centre.
