Health
FG hands over 100-bed Mother and Child Hospital to Kebbi, Kogi States
Ongoing efforts towards ensuring improved well-being of Nigerians gained a boost as Federal Government through the office of the Senior Special Assistant on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs) formally handed over the 100-bed capacity Mother and Child Hospital to Kebbi and Kogi State Governments, respectively, amidst cheering ovation.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire who spoke during the commissioning ceremony held in Kebbi State, pledged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s resolve to closely work with sub-national governments in delivering key interventions to fast-track the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals across the country.
The state-of-the-art 100-bed Mother and Child Hospital located in Tsamiya Village in Kebbi State was commissioned by Governor Nasri Idris of Kebbi State on the 25th January, 2024.
In the same vein, the 100-bed capacity Mother and Child Hospital which was handed over to Kogi State Government is located at Okene, and was commissioned by Governor Yahaya Bello who showered encomium on the Presidency for the laudable achievements recorded through the office of the Senior Special Assistant on Sustainable Development Goals.
Each of the two facilities has Operating Theatre, Labour Room, Recovery Rooms, Children Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Private and General Wards, Scanning Room, Consultation Rooms, and Laboratory, among others.
Some of the State of the art facilities installed are: Ultra-Scan Machine, Vacuum Extractor Delivery Set, and an Emergency Cart with full complements.
According to Princess Orelope-Adefulire who was a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, the MCC is directly linked to the achievement of SDG-3 on ‘Quality Health and Well-being for all’, as well as other cross-cutting SDGs.
While noting that the hospital was built and equipped to international standards, she disclosed that the hospital commissioned in Kebbi State is one of over 40 units of 100-Bed Mother and Child Hospitals constructed and fully equipped across the country by OSSAP-SDGs.
Orelope-Adefulire who extolled the leadership virtues of Mr. President said: “Let me, from the outset, appreciate President Tinubu for his sterling leadership and commitment to working closely with sub-national governments to deliver key interventions to fast-track the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria.
“In the same vein, I would like to most sincerely thank Governor Nasri Idris for his unwavering commitment to the socio-economic transformation of Nigeria and our collective desire to achieve the SDGs in Nigeria.
“Based on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, we are committed to prioritising key interventions with multiplier effects on multidimensional poverty, such as basic healthcare, vocational skills development, and education provisioning.”
According to her, with the COVID-19 pandemic challenging our healthcare system, strategic interventions, such as the Mother and Child Centre, have become imperative.
“Indeed, the primary and secondary effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could reverse decades of human development gains and undermine the achievement of the SDGs unless immediate action is taken and sustained,” Princess Orelope-Adefulire noted.
In his remarks, Governor Nasri Idris showered encomium on Orelope-Adefulire for delivering the laudable project in Kebbi State and President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering commitment to improving the health sector.
He expressed optimism that the project would help in reducing child and maternal mortality as well as improving maternal health within the state and, by extension, the neighbouring Benin Republic.
He added that the State Government would build Staff Quarters to support the services at the hospital and help mitigate the accommodation challenges that may be encountered by the Doctors and Nurses who will be engaged in the hospital.
The Federal Government has facilitated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Hospital and four private institutions to enhance the capacity of the healthcare workforce.
The participating institutions include Nile University, Cosmopolitan University, Yangongwo College of Nursing Sciences, and Concerned Medix Foundation.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Ministry’s Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Mr. Alaba Balogun on Friday.
Alaba revealed that during the signing ceremony, the Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, emphasized that the MoU aligns with the administration’s policy to expand training capacities.
Prof. Pate further highlighted that this initiative reflects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to increasing the training of health workers, addressing workforce gaps, and maintaining professional standards through the Regulatory and Professional Schools Division of the Hospital Services Department of the Ministry.
He stressed the government’s responsibility to tackle multiple challenges, including infrastructure, equipment, and human capital development, noting that Nigerian health workers are highly sought after due to their excellent training.
“Thankfully, because they are well-trained, we are very proud of them. If we weren’t training them, they wouldn’t have been attractive to other countries.
“Unfortunately, that has implications on the service delivery at home. So as a government, we took a progressive stance to say, look, let’s train more.
“So that even if those who are trained leave, some will stay. And even those who have gone away might come back to serve. And, that is the driving force behind this policy approval by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the Coordinating Minister pointed out.
Prof. Pate also underscored the crucial role of the private sector in achieving the government’s objectives, noting that Nigeria’s healthcare system operates as a mix of public and private institutions.
“So, the private sector has a space, and I am very pleased that you have joined hands with the National Hospital to be able to really see how the capabilities of the hospital can help you train more clinicians”, he said.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Prof. Raji Mahmud, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritizing improvements in the healthcare system.
He affirmed that the collaboration and signing of the MoU between the National Hospital and private institutions would significantly expand healthcare workforce training.
Prof. Mahmud further noted that three out of the four institutions are primarily training centers focused on medical and nursing education in partnership with the National Hospital, Abuja.
In a bid to enhance medical care for Nigerians, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed six new Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) for Federal Hospitals across the country.
Among those appointed is Dr. Ikrama Hassan, who will now serve as the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State. Dr. Hassan, a seasoned consultant physician, previously served as the Medical Director of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital before its elevation to a teaching hospital.
The full list of newly appointed CMDs includes:
Prof. Olusegun Sylvester Ojo – Federal Teaching Hospital, Akure, Ondo State.
Prof. Yusuf Mohammed Abdullahi (Reappointed) – Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe.
Dr. Dauda Abubakar Katagum – Federal Teaching Hospital, Azare, Bauchi State.
Dr. Ikrama Hassan – Federal Teaching Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State.
Dr. Ali Mohammed Ramat – National Orthopedic Hospital, Maiduguri, Borno State.
Dr. Haruna Abubakar Shehu – Federal Medical Centre, Kafanchan, Kaduna State.
Each appointment is for a four-year term, effective from the date of assumption of duty.
President Tinubu congratulated the appointees, urging them to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and service delivery. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving medical infrastructure and ensuring quality healthcare access for all Nigerians.
Senator representing Kebbi South Senatorial District, Garba Maidoki has called for the establishment of a Federal Medical Centre to be situated in Zuru to cater for the health needs of the District and its environs.
The lawmaker in the 10th National Assembly made the call during a public hearing on the Bill to establish Federal Medical Centre in Zuru organized by the Senate Committee on Health.
In a memorandum presented at the hearing by the lawmaker, he explained that the aim is to provide tertiary healthcare facilities to the people of Zuru in Kebbi State in the North West Nigeria.
He further noted that the establishment of FMCs across the country was initiated by Decree No. 10 of 1985, with the aim of providing tertiary healthcare services.
According to him, the FMC Birnin Kebbi was established on June 6, 2000, and has since been upgraded to a University Teaching Hospital.
The lawmaker stated that the large population and the challenges faced in accessing healthcare services, necessitates the establishment of FMC in the state.
“In Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, the distance between Zuru Emirate and Birnin Kebbi is approximately 240 km, making it difficult for patients, especially children and pregnant women, to access secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities”, he lamented.
Senator Maidoki charged his colleagues and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to support the bill, saying healthcare is a fundamental privilege expected from any government.
The lawmaker who is the sponsor of the bill told journalists during a chat that the Federal Medical Center, when established will not only cater for the tertiary healthcare needs of Kebbi State, but will also serve the adjoining states like Niger and Zamfara.
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