Wike’s 2yrs Health Sector Revolution: Renewing Hope, Reviving Lives

The FCT health sector, once plagued by outdated equipment, dilapidated facilities, and systemic inefficiencies, has experienced remarkable upgrade in the last two years, both in rural communities and the city center, ushering in what many describe as a healthcare revolution in Abuja.

This special report examines the contributions of the Wike-led administration to the health sector since his appointment as FCT Minister.

Quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare delivery remains key to achieving universal health coverage and building a healthy nation.

It is against this backdrop that the Wike-led administration expanded health insurance coverage to include all pregnant women, children aged 0–5, the elderly, and even those in the informal sector, once registered.

According to the Acting Director of the FCT Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS), Dr. Salamatu Belgore, the clearance of backlog debts, the digitalization of services, and the subsequent expansion of enrollees to the informal sector have significantly improved and made quality healthcare more affordable, especially for vulnerable residents.

“The FCT Health Insurance Scheme has achieved significant progress over the past two years under the leadership of the Hon. Minister, Barrister Nyesom Ezeunwo Wike.

The scheme successfully cleared all outstanding premiums to healthcare providers dating back from 2022 up to 2024.

This action,” Belgore said, “has significantly boosted the confidence of healthcare providers in the scheme, enhancing accountability and transparency within the system.”

The Permanent Secretary, Dr Babagana Adam FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, confirmed that approval was given to clear the backlog of debt up to the first quarter of 2025, as of December 2024.

Still within Wike’s two years in office, the FCTA organized free medical outreaches in June and September 2024 at Kuje and Bwari Area Councils, tagged Renewed Hope Healthcare Mission.

These outreaches provided treatment for over 5,000 needy, poor, and vulnerable patients, including more than 50 free surgeries.

This justified the statement of the Minister of State for FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, during the Health Mission Week in Kuje, that Tinubu’s Renewed Hope is for all.

“This government is leaving no one behind. We don’t care about your party affiliation, age, sex, or religion. It is renewed hope for all,” Mahmoud said.

Another significant milestone was recorded when the FCT Minister, Dr. Nyesom Wike, granted all the demands of the striking resident doctors.

The President of the Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Dr. Osundara Zenith confirmed this: “Nobody is using us. We are doing what is right to get his (Wike’s) attention, and his attention was gotten, and he attended to everything that was listed in our demands.

“We want to appreciate him for being generous. We want to appreciate him for being a father. We also want to appreciate him because he is taking matters of health as a priority,” Zenith said.

The President of FCT-ARD, Dr. George Ebong, also affirmed: “The FCT minister had granted all our requests… we believed that only him could do this, and he had done it. We are grateful.”

In addition, under the Wike-led administration, 86 primary health centers (PHCs), previously offering skeletal services, have now been fully upgraded and are operational.

Beyond the PHCs, major public hospitals in Maitama, Asokoro, Bwari, and Abaji have been equipped with oxygen plants to handle health emergencies, while disease surveillance and detection mechanisms have been strengthened.

Part of Maitama District Hospital was further upgraded with the unveiling of the Barrister Nyesom Wike “BNW” Amenity Ward, a luxurious five-cubicle facility

According to Fasawe, the facility is designed to provide VIP-style comfort, reduce medical tourism, and integrate modern healthcare standards within the public system.

To address the shortage of manpower, the Wike-led administration announced plans to recruit an additional 200 health workers in the FCT.

In May 2024, a 20-bed Vesico-Vaginal Fistula Centre, donated by ActionAid Nigeria with support from ActionAid Italy, was launched at Gwarinpa General Hospital to deliver essential reproductive health services to women.

To safeguard public health, hepatitis screening was reinforced under the Wike-led administration for food handlers in markets, restaurants, and bakeries to curb the spread of communicable diseases.

On diagnostic capacity, the FCTA has, within the last two years, procured MRI and CT scan machines to strengthen diagnostic services in public hospitals.

The FCTA, under Wike’s leadership, also supported the launch of the Care365 Innovation System, a comprehensive initiative that introduces health monitoring kiosks, mobile clinics, telemedicine apps, and a specialist doctors’ pool designed to bridge healthcare gaps.

Moreso, to eliminate quackery and its dire consequences in the health sector, unregistered practitioners are facing a clampdown to ensure patient’s safety across the territory.

What are FCT residents saying about the health sector under Wike’s leadership? The Gomo of Kuje, Alhaji Abdulahi Sabo, described the initiative as the “first of its kind.”

Similarly, a resident, Angela Okoro of Bwari Area Council, commended the FCTA for bringing medical outreach to the doorsteps of the less privileged.

“Some of these people you see don’t even have money to transport themselves to hospital, let alone to go for check-up, yet they were treated free of charge, including surgeries” This is really good,” Okoro said.

Another resident, Mr. Michael Balogun lauded Wike’s foresight in delivering impactful, people-oriented projects. “Aside road infrastructure, Wike don try well, well.”

Considering the antecedents of the Wike-led administration and the reforms carried out in the last two years in the health sector, residents remain hopeful that more efforts will be made to sustain and expand the progress already achieved.

Remi Johnson, Edited By Grace Namiji