Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has disclosed that arrangements have been concluded for the conversion of Shiroro Hotel to a teaching hospital to provide tertiary health care services.
Governor Bago stated this when he flagged off the upgrade of a central medical store to pharma grade standard and distribution of 25 motorcycles as well as essential medicines to primary health care departments in all the 25 local government areas in the state.
The upgrade and the provision of motorcycles and essential medicine is in partnership between the state government and the federal government, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)/and Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI).
Bago said the contract agreement for the teaching hospital would be signed next week and contractors would move to site immediately.
He said health care falls under one of the cardinal points of his administration, hence the Ministry of Primary Health Care and Ministry of Secondary and Tertiary Health Care were created separately for effectiveness and efficiency.
He said his administration would come up with a policy of presenting awards such as houses, vehicles and scholarships to the best-performing health workers to encourage them and boost their morale.
The governor urged health workers to make more sacrifices and remain dedicated to their duties.
He thanked development partners for their continued support and directed the Ministry of Finance to create a fund that would cater for all health-related counterpart funds to ensure prompt payments.
The commissioner for primary healthcare, Dr. Ibrahim Dangana, said motorcycles would be used for medical outreach to reduce morbidity and mortality across the state.
Dangana who commended the governor for his efforts so far in repositioning the ministry, said Governor Bago had directed the release of N170 million out of N400 million for the revitalisation of all the primary health centres across the three geopolitical zones of the state as well as the sum of N250 million for all focal PHCs in all wards in the state.
The commissioner for secondary and tertiary healthcare, Dr Bello Tukur, said the Central Medical Store would be the best in North Central Nigeria and a hub for the distribution of hospital consumables for health facilities in the state.
The chief of field office of UNICEF Kaduna, Dr Gerida Birukila, who spoke on behalf of development partners, expressed their willingness to work with the Bago-led administration to ensure quality healthcare in the state. The upgrade of the central medical store is expected to be completed in four months.
