Katsina State government has expended N13.4 billion to upgrade 146 Primary Health Centres, PHCs, to boost healthcare services.
The Deputy Governor, Malam Faruk Lawal-Jobe made the disclosure at a monthly press briefing yesterday in Katsina.
He said a minimum of four PHCs were upgraded in each of the 34 local government areas.
Government, he said, also approved the renovation and upgrading of Comprehensive Health Centres in Rimi, Faskari, Dandume and Zango Local Government Areas at the cost of about N3.7 billion.
According to him, government had renovated and upgraded the General Hospital, Kafur, as well as structures at the General Hospital, Kankia with N739.5 million.
Lawal-Jobe said N1.9 billion was expended by the State Primary Healthcare Agency to carry out its functions for effective healthcare delivery to the people of the state.
“These activities include, among others, the construction of a dry store, distribution of laptops to local government monitoring and evaluation officers.
“This was to bolster data management to enhance evidence-based decision making in healthcare delivery,” the deputy governor said.
Lawal-Jobe added that government also procured and distributed drugs for the containment of diphtheria outbreak, as part of non-polio supplementary immunisation activities, where 2,216,573 eligible children were vaccinated.
He added that it distributed 360 motorcycles to ward focal persons for routine immunisation and other related exercises during the period under review.
“So far, 438 personnel were engaged for the success of the exercise,” he said.
He said government had upgraded and converted the COVID-19 isolation centre to a psychiatric hospital at the total cost of N65.8 million.
Similarly, the deputy governor revealed that the former Psychiatric Hospital building was upgraded and converted to the permanent site of the College of Nursing and Midwifery at the cost of N104. 4 million.
He said government also sustained the free Medicare Policy for free delivery, antenatal, dialysis, cesarean session and other services.
“In this regard, N397,000,000 was expended during the period under review.
“This exercise is meant to assist the people of Katsina State, especially the less-privileged to have access to basic healthcare services with relative ease,” he said.(NAN)
