The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill seeking to establish a Federal Oil and Gas Hospital in Benikrukru, Delta State, aimed at providing specialized medical services for oil and gas workers and host communities.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas (Delta South), was passed following the presentation of a report by the Senate Committee on Health, chaired by Senator Ipalibo Banigo (Rivers West).

Presenting the report, Banigo, a former Deputy Governor of Rivers State, said the proposed hospital would deliver comprehensive healthcare tailored to the occupational hazards faced by oil and gas workers and residents of host communities.

“It is on record that workers in the oil and gas industry, especially in host communities, are often exposed to various hazards from gas exploration activities,” Banigo said.
“These include conditions like tendonitis, cancer, and injuries requiring specialized medical attention in occupational and environmental medicine.”

She noted that neglect of these communities has fueled agitations and unrest in the Niger Delta, undermining socio-economic development in the region and the country.

Banigo added that the hospital would ensure faster medical response times, reduce treatment delays for critical cases, and enhance access to quality healthcare, especially in occupational health and emergency services. She stressed that Delta State, being central to Nigeria’s energy economy, was an appropriate location.

Senator Benson Agadaga (Bayelsa East), who seconded the motion, described the bill as “timely and necessary,” saying it would address longstanding healthcare neglect of host communities.

“While company workers are often flown out by helicopters for treatment, the natives suffer neglect. This bill is apt and deserves swift passage,” Agadaga said.

The Senate adopted the committee’s report and passed the bill after clause-by-clause consideration at the Committee of the Whole.