The Federal Government has approved a 50% electricity subsidy for public hospitals across Nigeria, aiming to reduce operational costs and lessen the financial strain on patients.
This initiative was unveiled by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during a visit to the National Neo-Psychiatric Hospital in Barnawa, Kaduna.
Dr. Alausa also inaugurated several new facilities, including Electronic Health Records and an Alternative Power Supply at the Lawal Jafaru Isah Emergency Complex.
Additionally, a solarisation project was launched at the dialysis unit, which includes a solar-powered borehole and a 10.2 KVA inverter with a lithium battery at the Abdulkareem Jika Yusuf COVID-19 Intervention Centre.
The minister announced plans to rebrand federal hospitals as Specialist Hospitals to enhance care delivery and reduce stigma.
“We 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. While the core services will remain psychiatric, this renaming will allow for the continuous expansion of services,” Dr. Alausa explained.
He commended the leadership of Chief Medical Director Dr. Aishatu Yusha’u Armiyau, emphasizing that the hospital’s advancements are in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s campaign promises.
The subsidy aims to address the increasing overhead costs faced by hospitals, where energy expenses make up over 40% of their total costs, according to the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP).
This measure is expected to provide significant relief to the healthcare sector and improve patient care across the country.
