FROM RAHILA ABDULLAHI, KADUNA
Governor Uba Sani has revamped the health sector in Kaduna State, through infrastructural development, facilities upgrade and equipping of primary, as well as secondary healthcare facilities in the last 22 months.
Commissioner of Health, Hajiya Umma Ahmad, who disclosed this at a ministerial press briefing, said the governor’s interventions have been producing positive outcomes.
According to her, Kaduna State achieved 100 percent coverage of public health facilities in the distribution of medicines last year, a feat that was confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Health.
‘’Kaduna State Health Supplies Management Agency has received 10 prestigious awards, including the coveted Award for Excellence In Supply Chain, which was presented by the International Supply Chain Education Alliance,’’ she disclosed.
Hajiya Ahmad also said that the National Product Supply Chain, NPSC), had ranked Kaduna State as one of the first subnationals ‘’to reach the Maturing Ready To Integrate Level for public health supply chains for essential medicines, demonstrating its preparedness for an efficient State Health Supply System, SHSS.’’
The commissioner noted that Kaduna State won the Leadership Challenge award for the North West zone in 2024, which is testament to Governor Sani’s positive interventions in the health sector.
She disclosed that the 255 PHCs in Kaduna State are being upgraded to Level 2 ‘’for basic emergency obstetrics and neonatal care to prevent maternity and neo-natal mortality and morbidity.’’
‘’13 secondary health facilities out of the 33 general hospitals are being rehabilitated and equipped. Contract has been awarded for the reconstruction, remodelling and equipping of additional health facilities at Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital, Tudun Wada,’’ she added.
According to her, Governor Sani has ‘’renovated and equipped the warehouse of Kaduna State Health Supplies Management Agency, KADHSMA, to a pharma-grade standard, which has 1,600sqm with storage capacity of 8,000 cubic metres of pharmaceutical products, with a well equipped quality control laboratory.’’
She noted that the state government has ‘’procured and distributed over 975 Stock Keeping Units, SKUs, for public health facilities, distributed state-of-the-art equipment to 290 PHC centres to aid diagnostic and therapeutic services.’’
The commissioner recalled that Sani had ‘’flagged-off the distribution of free and essential medicines to all local government councils, targeting the under-served communities, with a view to expand access to commodities and health care.’’
Hajiya Ahmad also promised that the 300-bed Specialist Hospital will provide specialised care nationwide and has the potential of stemming medical tourism when completed.
She pledged that the hospital will soon be commissioned because civil works have been fully completed, while 85 percent of the equipment have been installed.
The commissioner commended Governor Sani for the improved health financing, as his administration ‘’increased enrolment rate for health insurance from 527,303 in 2023 to 639,432 in 2024, equivalent to a 21.3 percent increase.
‘’Furthermore, the governor approved the enrolment of 70,000 vulnerable population into the Social Health insurance scheme under the Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority.
‘’In addition, he released N52,000,000 as 25 percent counterpart contribution for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, BHCPF, programme for the enrolment of additional 4,333 vulnerable persons,’’ she disclosed.
According to her, Kaduna State government has ‘’sustained the allocation of not less than 15 percent of its financing to the health sector as prescribed by the Abuja Declaration, a feat that is yet to be achieved at the federal level.’’
The commissioner also reiterated that the governor approved the recruitment of 1,800 health workers yearly across all the PHCs for the next four years.
