THE House of Representatives on Thursday demanded from the Federal Government to immediately direct the Ministry of Finance to make available the funds budgeted in the years 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively for the payment of salaries of staff of Tertiary Health Institutions whose services were outsourced nationwide
‎The House also mandated the Committee on Health Institutions to interface with the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation to ensure that funds were provided in the 2018 Appropriation proposal for the payment of those outsourced services.
The lawmakers in addition directed that the funds to be released should be domicile in the accounts of the various Teaching Hospitals/Federal Medical Cent res nationwide.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion by Hon Betty Apiafi and 17 others titled: “Need to Release Funds to Federal Tertiary Hospitals for Payment of Staff who’s Services were Outsourced.”
While moving the motion, pointed out that in 2007, the Federal Government outsourced the services of cleaners, security staff, laundry, maintenance and environmental staff in Tertiary Health Institutions was budgeted and approved
According to her,” in 2015, about 40% of the outsourced funds was released to the Institutions, but that in 2016 and 2017, no release of funds was made for the payment of the staff whose services were outsourced.
“The funds are not domicile in the accounts of the respective Health Institutions for the payment of the salaries of those outsourced staff, hence the adverse effects on the service delivery capability of those institutions;
“The failure to release the funds that were budgeted for the payment of those staff has led to the crisis at the Health Institutions that have manifested in dirty environments, unhealthy living conditions for patients and staff and frequent cases of industrial actions that have led to closure of some of the Institutions.”
When the Deputy Speaker, Hon Yussuff Lasun called for a vote on the motion, it was overwhelmingly supported and was then referred to the House Committee on Health Institutions for further legislative action.
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