Borno State governor Babagana Umara Zulum has inaugurated the state-of-the-art eye and dental hospitals as well as a mega secondary school in Biu local government area in the southern part of the state.
The newly inaugurated 40-bed capacity eye hospital, equipped with advanced diagnostic and surgical facilities, is to address the growing need for ophthalmological care in the southern region of Borno.
The governor has also approved the appointment of a team of highly trained medical doctors and specialists who will offer treatments for cataracts, glaucoma and other vision-related ailments.
Similarly, the 30-bed capacity dental hospital will provide comprehensive oral health services, including preventive care, orthodontics and restorative treatments, ensuring that residents no longer have to travel long distances for dental care.
Zulum, during the inauguration ceremony, emphasised his administration’s commitment to improving the quality of life for Borno citizens.
He said, “Healthcare is one of the cardinal pillars of the Borno State’s 25-Year Development Plan and the 10-Year Strategic Transformation Initiative. Reflecting on this commitment, we allocated 15% of the state’s budget to health sector in the 2024 and 2025 fiscal year in line with the Abuja declaration recommendation for healthcare financing to prioritize health and well-being of our people.”
In his remarks, the Chief Medical Director of the Borno State Hospital Management Board, Professor Abubakar Ali Kullima, said the two centres are not only for patients’ service but also for the training of healthcare professionals.
The CMD also stated that immediately after the inauguration, the hospital would be opened for free ophthalmic operation for citizens in the southern Borno catchment zone.
The governor also commissioned a mega secondary school at Miringa, 10 km from Biu town.
The school is designed to accommodate over 1,300 students.
The school consists of 60 classrooms, an ICT centre and four laboratories among other facilities that enhance teaching and learning activities.
Governor Zulum also distributed text and exercise books, uniforms, school sandals and a bicycle for each of the enrolled students to ease movement from the nearby villages.
Meanwhile, Governor Zulum has approved funds for the construction of new general hospitals in five local government areas of Askira Uba, Magumeri, Gubio, Mafa and Dikwa.
He announced the approval yesterday at the commissioning ceremony for two hospitals in Biu town.
He said, “To enhance health infrastructure, the Borno State Government has awarded contracts for the construction of modern General Hospitals in Uba, Gubio, Magumeri, Mafa and Dikwa.”
The governor expressed commitment to addressing the manpower needs in the healthcare centres in order to provide optimal service to the people of Borno.
“We recognize that the development of a resilient healthcare system necessitates more than just physical infrastructure. The availability of skilled healthcare professionals is equally crucial.
“To address this shortage of manpower, we are launching a multidimensional initiative, incorporating a range of measures to attract, train, retain, develop skilled healthcare professionals and talents and collaboration with educational institutions among others,” he further said.
The Borno State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Professor Baba Mallam Gana, stated that Borno is the first state in Nigeria to construct eye and dental hospitals in each of its senatorial zones.
According to him, the facilities have specialists who have the capacity to handle advanced ophthalmological and dental health cases and cater for patients beyond Biu and its environs.
