In a significant move to enhance healthcare services in Nigeria, the Federal Government has approved a 50% electricity subsidy for public hospitals. This announcement was made by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa, during a visit to the National Neo-Psychiatric Hospital in Barnawa, Kaduna State.

During his visit, Minister Alausa also commissioned several projects aimed at improving healthcare delivery, including the Electronic Health Records system and an Alternative Power Supply at the Lawal Jafaru Isah Emergency Complex. The initiatives also included a solarisation project at the dialysis unit, featuring a solar-powered borehole and a 10.2 KVA inverter installed at the Abdulkareem Jika Yusuf COVID-19 Intervention Centre.

"The aim of this gesture is to significantly reduce the running costs for public hospitals, and ultimately alleviate the financial burden on patients," Alausa stated.

Furthermore, the minister announced plans to rename federal hospitals as Specialist Hospitals, a strategic move designed to expand healthcare service delivery and destigmatize healthcare facilities. "We are going to change the names of our Federal Hospitals to Specialist Hospitals to expand care delivery and destigmatize hospitals so that everybody can come here. While the core services will remain psychiatric, this renaming will allow for the continuous expansion of services," he explained.

Amid the positive developments, Alausa acknowledged challenges facing the healthcare sector, particularly the warning strike by resident doctors. He noted that this industrial action is complicating efforts to secure the release of kidnapped doctor Ganiyat Popoola, who was abducted from the hospital staff quarters. Minister Alausa called for calm and reassured the hospital management and the public that the abducted doctor would return safely.

This move by the Nigerian Federal Government is expected to improve operational efficiency in public hospitals, while also ensuring that healthcare remains accessible and affordable for patients across the country.