The House of Representatives has passed for second reading a bill seeking to establish a National Children’s Hospital in Ideato, Imo State, to expand access to specialised paediatric healthcare and reduce preventable child deaths in Nigeria.
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, who represents Ideato North and South Federal Constituency, was debated during plenary on Thursday.
Presenting the bill, Ugochinyere said the proposed hospital would provide dedicated medical services for children, improve access to quality healthcare and strengthen efforts to reduce child mortality across the country.
The lawmaker stressed that protecting children’s health was a constitutional responsibility of government, noting that children remain among the most vulnerable members of society.
He cited Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
According to him, the constitutional provision places an obligation on government to ensure that citizens, particularly children, have access to affordable, accessible and quality healthcare services.
Ugochinyere described the proposed hospital as a strategic intervention to address gaps in specialised child healthcare, adding that the initiative aligns with the objectives of Nigeria’s National Health Policy and the 10th House of Representatives Legislative Agenda.
He also drew attention to the country’s child mortality challenges, calling for increased investment in specialised medical facilities, trained healthcare professionals and early intervention services.
The lawmaker identified malaria, pneumonia, diarrhoeal diseases and neonatal complications among the preventable conditions that continue to endanger the lives and healthy development of Nigerian children.
He argued that establishing a dedicated national paediatric hospital would improve the diagnosis and treatment of complex childhood illnesses while supporting medical research and enhancing healthcare outcomes.
Ugochinyere further referenced Section 13 of the Child Rights Act, 2003, which recognises every child’s right to the best attainable state of physical, mental and spiritual health.
He said the proposed legislation would help advance this right by providing an institutional framework for specialised, child-centred medical services.
To strengthen his argument, the lawmaker cited specialised paediatric institutions in other countries, including Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., United States, and the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.
He maintained that Nigeria needed a more deliberate approach to paediatric healthcare through investments in specialised facilities capable of delivering advanced treatment, training medical personnel and supporting research.
If enacted and implemented, the proposed National Children’s Hospital in Ideato could serve children from Imo State, the South-East and other parts of the country, depending on its eventual capacity and service arrangements.
