Allegations Of Drugs, Equipment Diversion Rocks NASS Clinic

Barely few weeks after the State House Clinic shot into limelight over lack of drugs, similar allegation is rocking the National Assembly Clinic.

The National Assembly Clinic caters for lawmakers, their aides and families.
LEADERSHIP checks revealed that the hospital has recorded malfeasance, including scarcity of drugs, disappearance of medical items which are allegedly diverted to private pharmacies.

Despite the budgetary allocation to the hospital, the clinic is gradually becoming a shadow of its former self.

A staff that spoke on condition of anonymity narrated the level of stress she had undergone, as a result of lack of doctors and equipment to work with it.

She said , “Doctors are hardly enough. But even if they are, there will be no equipment to work with. It is either the ones available have broken down after months of acquisition and usage with promises of fixing or changing them or that the machines are not available.

That is the case at this clinic.”
When asked about the quality of drugs in the clinic, she said, “Am sure you can always get paracetamol and other routine drugs. But anything outside that will take the patient outside the clinic where he will be advised to buy the drugs”.

Checks also revealed a disheartening picture of a hospital, which is expected to solve the immediate medical needs of lawmakers as well as a host of other staff of the Assembly, is now simply referred to as a first aid center for some of the NASS staff who have been victims of inadequate health service at the clinic.

Another user of the clinic said , “A thorough look at what constitute a hospital for the legislative arm of the federal government reveals a deliberate detachment of some offices at the basement on left flank of the complex, just before the Senate.

“Even though it is partitioned and made so compact to accommodate all the units of the clinic, it is still not enough let alone providing offices for the Heads of Unit. That is to tell you, what someone who is seriously sick will go through to get treated.

“For instance, the Office of the Head of Pharmaceutical Service is located in the Senate new Building, miles away from the “White House” where the clinic is itself located. Again, the clinic does not admit patients at the National Assembly.

Admission is only done at Area 11, the extension of the clinic which operates in a rented 3 -bed room apartment. You can see for yourself that, it is not advisable for anyone to go through all of that. (Leadership).