Two things-accessibility and affordability- are central to every genuine drive to ensure health care for all. At the centre of all genuine health reform is the desire to have a nation where all, regardless of income, will have access to improved and affordable quality health care.
In Nigeria, the statistics of health care delivery is so appalling with widespread concerns over deplorable state of infrastructures, demotivated workforce, and dearth of equipment cum other consumables.
Like other states of the federation, the health sector in Nasarawa, critical as it is to the economic development because health is wealth, is in a dire strait and desirous of serious attention owing to long years of neglect.
Disturbed by the poor state of healthcare and determined to address it by giving the sector the much needed priority attention, Governor Abdullahi Sule said “My administration is seriously committed to ensuring that the people of the state get access to quality and affordable healthcare”
When in 2016, the then Nasarawa state government of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura adopted the State Health Policy and Strategy, the intention was to ensure quality and affordable health for citizens of the state, in line with the National Health policy, which was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Indeed, the adoption culminated in the formation of the Nasarawa State Strategic Health Development Plan two (SSHDP II) 2018 – 2022 which was developed and aligned with the overall Strategic Development Plan of the state.
In May 2019 when he assumed office, Governor Sule met the SSHDP II already being developed, so he hit the ground running by leveraging on all the established structures of the State Ministry of Health to get the job done without any hitch.
The governor said that quality healthcare delivery to the people was one of the primary concerns of his administration and assured that concerted efforts would be made to ensure that people of the state have access to quality health care just as he assured that it would not relent in its determination to meet the needs of the people.
To underscore his administration’s resolve to deliver quality and affordable healthcare services to the people of Nasarawa state, Governor Sule has invested hugely in upgrading infrastructures and building of new health centres, provision of drugs and other consumables as well as training and recruitment of more health personnel.
Undoubtedly, the achievements recorded in health sector in the state so far, are testaments which points to the fact that the governor’s commitment to meeting the health needs of the people as manifested in the operations of the ministry and its agencies, as is clear as sunrise from the east.
In line with his administration’s resolve to reposition health care delivery, Governor Sule accorded priority to the sector by ensuring that the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, (DASH) Lafia, which is the State’s own tertiary health facility and served as a referral center, the Hospitals Management Board (HMB) which coordinates the activities of all secondary health facilities in the State and, the Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency which coordinates and supervise the activities of all primary healthcare centers, are given all the necessary support to enable them function effectively and efficiently.
Other agencies like the Nasarawa State Health Insurance Agency, (NASHIA) and Nasarawa State Aids Control Agency, (NASACA) are being retooled to serve the state and its people better.
Expectedly, the state government also prioritise funding of the health training institutions in line with the overall drive of providing clement environment for the training of human resource for health.
To this end, the Nasarawa State College of Health Technology, Keffi was moved to its permanent site where befitting structures favourable for learning and other practicals were provided; while facilities at the State College of Nursing and Midwifery, Lafia, are being upgraded. Classroom complex and Students’ hostel have been constructed at the permanent site of the school which is also be strengthened through the engagement of additional lecturers.
Additionally too, in September 2022, Governor Sule ordered the recruitment of 37 medical doctors to boost healthcare delivery across the state noting that the recruitment of additional doctors become necessary to meet the demands of doctors who will work in various health facilities across the state.
Other key interventions in the health sector under the current administration in the state include procurement of functional mobile clinics aimed at facilitating medication and treatment to the vulnerable and less privileged.
There is also the establishment of Infectious Diseases Diagnosis and Research Center to serve as a research hub, a centre for innovation and operational research. Further still, the administration facilitated the seamless establishment of the state health insurance agency, to provide accessible and affordable healthcare services, with the agency so far, enrolling 86, 682 beneficiaries from both the formal and informal sectors.
Other plausible interventions of Governor Sule is the signing of the revised Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency Law & Gazette and, the release of N100 million counter-part funds to kick-start the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) and, the support to 147 health facilities in the state.
Interestingly, the state also paid N100 million counterpart funds for the impact project payment of capitation for indigent patients in the state; and released counterpart funds for the implementation of maternal and child health (MNCH) and supplementary immunisation activities in the state.
What are the other noticeable achievements of Governor Sule in the health sector? As a government that strives to exceed all expectations, in the health sector, the administration has formulated a 5-year elimination plan for Hepatitis C even as it inaugurated a Task force on Hepatitis, to mitigate the spread of the virus in the State.
There is also the free Medical Eye Care Outreach Services that was conducted across the state where scores of residents especially those at the lower rung of the social ladder, benefited. This is aside the free medical outreach services for other ailments where, as at the last count, over 20,000 people benefited from the exercise, which is ongoing in the State.
To curtail the spread of malaria, the state government procured and distributed long lasting treated nets (LLIN) in the State.
Worthy of mention is the renovation of Central Medical Store to global standard with a capacity to warehouse more commodities; training of 1,573 health workers in various fields of health to enhance their capacity to be more productive.
The current administration also facilitated the development and launch of the Nasarawa State Policy on Food and Nutrition; launched a multi- sectoral plan of action for nutrition and procured Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for distribution to children in need.
Interestingly, the state has been rated best in combating the menace of malnutrition. It won the award bestowed on it by the federal government. Nasarawa State Coordinator, Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN), Illiyasu Tunga, who disclosed this said that the state was also rated second in Social Behavioural Change Communication and third in Coordination of Development Partners towards reducing the prevalence of malnutrition.
It would be recalled that the ANRiN project is been implemented in 12 states in the country, with high burdens of malnourished children and pregnant women as well as nursing mothers.
The projects, which started in 2017 when the data on malnutrition across the country was so devastating, are being implemented in Nasarawa, Plateau, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Kasina, Gombe, Abia, Akwa-Ibom and Oyo states.
In Nasarawa State, a 2018 data revealed that because of lack of Vitamin-A, the burden of malnutrition and stunted growth in the state was at 33 per cent. However, with the dogged commitment of the state government and other partners, no fewer than 1,869,385 children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers across the 13 LGAs of the state are being supported to tackle the scourge.
The journey to Nasarawa’s ability to effectively confront the menace of malnutrition included so many laudable initiatives including the fact that the state government successfully mapped all relevant stakeholders, engaged non-state actors to offer nutrition specific services just as the State Primary Health Care Development Agency-SPHCDA- now offers nutrition sensitive service.
Aside from wining the recognition of the best in combating malnutrition, the state also received encomiums for its giant strides in primary health care development, from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
Indeed, as noted by the Executive Director of NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib, Nasarawa under Governor Sule represents all that is needed to build a resilient primary healthcare system.
“Key achievement in the state cuts across vital components of the health system, including programmatic, infrastructural, workforce and fiscal successes,” Dr Faisal has said.
The ministry of health that coordinates the state’s health plan has been instrumental to the execution of all the laudable plans including the training for healthcare professionals; combating mother to child transmission of Hepatitis B.
Like the Governor pledged in one of his numerous fruitful engagements with stakeholders in the health sectors, his administration has continued to accord premium to the provisions of the healthcare at primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions, with a view to ensure a healthy society.
