The Kaduna State House of Assembly has moved to strengthen regulation of private health facilities and schools to protect residents from substandard services and unsafe practices.
Mr Henry Marah, Chairman, House Committee on Information, NGOs and Development Partners, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on Wednesday after the House resumed plenary.
Marah said the House considered three bills and screened three commissioner nominees during the plenary.
He said the bill on regulation of health facilities was aimed at ensuring that private medical facilities met required standards of hygiene, infrastructure and professional practice.
The lawmaker said the move became necessary following concerns over some private clinics operating in facilities that were not suitable for healthcare delivery.
“We will not allow private businesses to thrive at the detriment of the health and hygiene of the people of Kaduna State,” he said.
He said the proposed regulation would also help address the practice of government-employed doctors allegedly paying more attention to their private facilities than their official duties.
According to him, the regulatory agency, once empowered by the Assembly, will compile records of health facilities and enforce specified standards.
He said facilities that failed to meet the requirements would be shut down.
“Most especially those people that use lanterns to do surgery, or candles to do surgery, and those that have rented facilities that are not designed to be health facilities will definitely go,” he said.
The chairman said the debate on the health facilities bill also raised concerns about the regulation of private schools in the state.
He said the House had heard of schools operating from private residences and establishments allegedly used as schools during the day and beer parlours at night.
Marah said the Assembly would invite representatives of private school owners, the Commissioner for Education and relevant regulatory agencies to assess private schools in the state.
“We will have to take stock of all our private schools, and I can assure you, we should be having so many of them closed down because of such practices,” he said.
He said operators of private schools would be expected to provide facilities that were at least comparable to government-owned schools.
The House also considered a bill to amend the Kaduna State Audit Law, while another bill sought to repeal the Kaduna State Investment Promotion Agency Law, 2023, and re-enact the Kaduna State Investment and Export Promotion Agency Law.
Marah explained that laws needed to be amended, repealed or replaced periodically to reflect emerging needs and improve governance.
On the screening of commissioner nominees, he said the House screened three nominees forwarded by Gov. Uba Sani.
The nominees were Ben Kure, Amina Akilu Dalhat and Alhaji Abdullahi Garba Abbas.
Marah said the nominees had undergone relevant security checks and that no petitions or adverse reports were presented against them.
He said the House had previously rejected commissioner nominees where issues were raised against them, stressing that the Assembly would recall any nominee if credible concerns emerged after clearance.
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