Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
Anambra State House of Assembly has passed into law, a bill establishing the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku, Awka to provide related services.
The bill which is an executive bill sponsored by state Government was passed during the plenary, shortly after its consideration by the House at the Committee of Whole.
The passage of the bill was sequel to consideration of report of the House Committee on Health on a bill for a law to establish COOUTH to provide related purposes (Repeal and Re-Enactment), 2019.
The Speaker, Mr. Uchenna Okafor, who presided over the Committee of the whole as Chairman, led lawmakers through lines, phrases and clauses contained in the bill that enabled them to make adequate changes.
The bill was however passed unanimously in plenary by the lawmakers through voice vote.
The purpose of the bill was to provide for repeal and re-enactment of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Amaku, Awka 2019.
The bill stipulated that the hospital should provide the highest standards of medical services, training of undergraduate medical students, post graduate medical doctors, certified and degree programmes for nurses.
The bill should also research into all aspects of medical and allied services as well as others.
Also, the bill provided for composition of a Governing Board and Medical Advisory Committee of the teaching hospital; as well as qualifications and functions of the management.
The Majority Leader of the House Mr. Nnamdi Okafor explained that the essence of the bill was to upgrade the facility to a teaching hospital to world-class standards, so as to meet health needs of Ndi Anambra.