The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Federal Capital Territory

  • Task force shuts 14 fake medicine stores 

    The Federal Capital Territory, FCT taskforce on counterfeit and fake  drugs has sealed off 14 illegal medicine stores in Karu and Jikwoyi area of the FCT.

    The FCT  Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Murna Kazzah who led the raid team said most of the pharmacies affected were operating illegally.

    She added that some of them were operating with expired license while some were selling drugs to the public without the relevant doctor’s prescription.

    Mrs Kazzah said the committee will not rest until such stores are sent out of the FCT.

    She said  a seven-member task force led by her has been constituted to monitor and stop the distribution of fake drugs in the Abuja  communities.

    Secretary to the Task Force Pharm Halima S.K. Ramon-Yususf said fake drugs include drugs with no active ingredients such as “chalk tablets standing in for paracetamol or Semovita and starch in capsule, drugs with insufficient active ingredients such as 20 percent instead of 95-105 percent, drugs without full name and address of manufacturers, drugs with ingredients different from what is stated on the label, expired drugs re-labeled with the intention of extending their shelf life, drugs not registered by NAFDAC and clone drugs.”

    She added that the effect of fake drugs were worse than the combined scourge of malaria, HIV/ AIDS and armed robbery put together because fake drugs kill en-masse, pointing out that they damage vital organs like liver and kidneys.

    She said in 1991 for example, reported cases from the UCH Ibadan and JUTH Jos shows that fake Paracetamol syrup killed 109 children in one day and advised consumers to protect themselves and their families from the harmful effects of using fake drugs.

    She urged those with expired licenses to come forward and revalidate their licenses after which their pharmacies will be re-opened.

  • ‘Abuja residents won’t pay more hospital bills’

    Tt is a relief, thanks to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed.

    He took a good look at the a proposal for an upward review of charges on the existing services in hospitals in the capital city and said “no”. The people should not pay more, he ruled.

    Giving reason for turning down the proposal, he said that the idea was not in tandem with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

    This was one of the decisions reached during the FCT Executive Meeting at the Banquet Hall, FCT Minister’s Official Residence Gwarinpa I District Abuja.

    The minister, however, stated that new minimal charges would only be allowed in the case of new services introduced in the hospitals such as CT scan.

    He further explained that in order to enhance the world-class healthcare services being rendered to the residents of the FCT, the FCT Executive Council has approved minimal charges on the new services in the hospitals.

    According to him, some of the new services include intensive care unit (ICU) N15, 000 per day; hemodialysis with vascular access-N14, 000 per session and hemodialysis without vascular access-N19, 000 per session.

    He said: “Other new laboratory services including Hbe surface antigen test and H-Pylori test, will go for N2, 600 an N2, 000 respectively.”

    The minister revealed that for the new radiology services like trans vaginal scan  (TVS)-N2,500; CT intravenous urography (IVU)- N60,000; CT angiography- N70,000; trans rectal scan- N2,000; CT scan (Abdomen) – N40,000; CT scan (brain) N30,000; echocardiography-N10,000.

    Senator Mohammed insisted that the FCT Administration, as a government, has a responsibility to the people dwelling in the Federal Capital Territory and would continue to do that for their utmost benefit.

    The Executive Council warned that “all other charges for services currently being provided in hospitals in the FCT must not be increased in whatever way either directly or indirectly, as this administration is, more than ever, prepared to serve the people.”

    On the proposed review of the scope of the free antenatal care services in the FCT hospitals, the Council directed that the status quo ante should remain.

    It further directed that if there were shortcomings in funding the laudable programme, efforts would be made to augment any shortfall through SURE-P and other sources for the needed funds.

    The minister expressed the FCT’s commitment to continue in the provision of free antenatal services as initially conceived, even as he said that it would expand the package to all the nook and cranny of the Federal Capital Territory.

    He emphasised that the people-oriented programme has been conceived to enhance healthcare delivery in the Federal Capital Territory; especially to the indigent people.

    Meanwhile, the Executive Council has set up two different committees headed by the FCT Chief of Staff and the General Counsel/Secretary of Legal Services Secretariat, Alhaji Mohammed Yau Gital and Mr. Ima Okpongete respectively.

    The two committees are expected to look into the memos on the autonomy for the Abuja Central Medical Stores as well as the establishment/collection of entertainment and event centre fees in the FCT.

  • Power failure: Inverter to the rescue

    It has not really been a good time for residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) especially those who live in the suburbs. They grapple with power failure. Some of the areas affected include Lugbe, Jabi, Kubwa, to mention but a few.

    Tired of complaints to appropriate authorities, some the affected communities have taken to the popular radio station, known as “Wazobia” to air their grievances.

    It could be worrisome when some lament living without power for almost two years and had to resort to power generating sets as well as inverters.

    Generating sets have their shortcomings such as environmental pollution, noise and the need for gasoline, a fact which has made the inverter the better option.

    Inverter adoption has been on the increase in the country especially the capital territory, as users look to improve the quality of their lives. The solution allows users to store energy when it is available and deploy it whenever it is needed, without needing to switch on their generators.

    The solution is automatic, and assures users’ experience ‘Always on Power’. The resultant savings from not having to spend money on diesel are enough to justify the purchase of inverters. The fact that they produces no noise and no pollution, just adds to their value proposition.

    Speaking to Abuja Review, Head of Simba Service, subsidiary of Simba Group which distributes the product in the country, Mr. Kj Anil said customer satisfaction has earned the firm much credibility.

    “At Simba, we believe that total customer satisfaction is only achieved, when a good quality is supported by attentive and responsive customer care and after sales service,” he added.

    The power backup solutions are manufactured by Luminous Power Technologies, an Indian power and storage firm. The company, according to Anil, produces high quality inverters, batteries and renewable energy products.

    Anil further advised the concerned territories to strengthen its drive for alternative power source as well as renewable energy.

    This among other internationally acclaimed methods can enable the administration as we ll as the country to achieve its goal on nationwide power transformation.

     

  • FCT gets new solicitor general

    FCT gets new solicitor general

    The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Bala Mohammed on Tuesday approved the appointment of Ibrahim Abdullahi as the new Solicitor General of the Federal capital Territory, Abuja.

    In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the minister, Muhammad Sule, Mr. Abdullahi, an indigene of Okene, Kogi State joined the FCT Administration in 1987; and until his appointment was the Director, Advisory Services in the FCT Legal Services Secretariat.

    The Minister noted that the office demands a lot of personal initiatives, maturity and professional competence and advised Mr. Abdullahi to exhibit a high sense of dedication, diligence and hard work in the discharge of his new responsibilities.

    The former Solicitor General of the FCT, Helen Oloja, retired voluntarily from services of the Abuja Administration on April 16.