Buni Upgrades CHC Gadaka To General Hospital As Yobe Absorbs 422 Health Workers

In a major stride toward expanding access to quality healthcare across Yobe State, Governor Mai Mala Buni has approved the immediate upgrading of the Comprehensive Health Centre (CHC) in Gadaka, Fika local government area, to the status of a general hospital.

The announcement was made in a statement issued by Shuaibu Abdullahi, the press secretary to the secretary to state government. Abdullahi described the development as part of Governor Buni’s broader efforts to strengthen the state’s health system, particularly in underserved and fast-growing communities.

The upgraded facility, now General Hospital Gadaka, is expected to significantly enhance service delivery capacity in the southern part of the state. It will offer expanded healthcare services, including minor surgeries, emergency response, maternal and child health, diagnostics, and inpatient care.

“This is a major step in bridging the healthcare access gap, especially for residents in and around Gadaka. It will also ease the pressure on nearby hospitals in Potiskum and Fika,” said a senior official in the Ministry of Health.

In a related development, the Yobe State Executive Council, during its recent meeting held in Damaturu, approved the absorption of 422 health workers into the state health system.

Speaking at a press briefing shortly after the meeting in Damaturu, the Commissioner of Information, Hon Abdullahi Bego, said those absorbed include 110 midwives, 54 Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs), and 258 Community-Based Health Workers, all previously recruited under the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII).

MAMII, launched in November 2024, was designed to reduce maternal mortality in five high-risk LGAs of Bade, Jakusko, Nangere, Yusufari, and Bursari by strengthening the frontline health workforce and improving maternal care services.

The memo for their absorption was submitted to the council by the commissioner for health and human services, Dr Muhammad Lawan Gana, and approved to ensure the initiative’s sustainability and long-term improvements in maternal and child health outcomes.