By James Isaac, Abuja
The Senator representing Kebbi South Senatorial District, Garba Musa Maidoki, has called for the establishment of a Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Zuru to address the rising healthcare demands of the people in the region.
Presenting his submission during a public hearing organized by the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Maidoki highlighted that the proposed medical center would cater to over one million residents of Zuru Emirate, which comprises four Local Government Areas (LGAs), as well as the larger Kebbi South Senatorial District with a population of 1.7 million people across seven LGAs.
He noted that the long distance of about 240 kilometers between Zuru Emirate and the state capital, Birnin Kebbi, posed a significant challenge to accessing tertiary healthcare services, especially for children, pregnant women, and other vulnerable groups.
Maidoki commended the Federal Government for upgrading FMC Birnin Kebbi to a University Teaching Hospital but stressed that the new FMC in Zuru would serve as a lifeline to underserved communities in Kebbi South and neighboring states like Niger, Zamfara, and Sokoto.
He urged his fellow lawmakers and the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare to support the bill, described access to quality healthcare as a fundamental right and a key dividend of democracy.
