The Kaduna State Government has announced that the 300-bed specialist hospital in Millennium City, Chikun Local Government Area of the state, will soon be ready for commissioning.
The State Commissioner of Health, Hajiya Umma Ahmed, disclosed this at a ministerial press briefing at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna, on Friday.
THE WHISTLER reports that the project, initiated by former Vice President Namadi Sambo, has received $148m in support from the Islamic Development Bank.
Despite efforts by previous administrations, including those of the late Patrick Yakowa, Mukhtar Ramallan Yero, and Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, the project remained incomplete.
According to the commissioner, the hospital with an oncology unit for research, diagnosis and treatment of cancers is expected to provide comprehensive healthcare facilities to the population of Kaduna State and beyond.
She also said it is expected to be commissioned soon, with all civil works completed and 85 per cent of equipment installed.
“The hospital will provide specialised care nationwide and has the potential to stem medical tourism when completed.
“The hospital will soon be commissioned because all civil works have already been fully completed, while 85 per cent of the equipment has been installed,” she said.
She noted that Governor Uba Sani’s administration has made significant strides in revamping the health sector, including infrastructural development, facility upgrades, and equipment provision for primary and secondary healthcare facilities.
“The governor has revamped the entire health sector in Kaduna State through infrastructural development, facilities upgrade, and equipping of primary as well as secondary health care facilities in the last 22 months,” she said.
Other notable healthcare initiatives in Kaduna State, the commissioner said, include the upgrading of primary healthcare centres, rehabilitation of secondary healthcare facilities, and improvement of health financing.
According to her, the state is also rehabilitating and equipping 13 out of 33 general hospitals.
“We are upgrading 255 PHCs to Level 2 for basic emergency obstetrics and neonatal care to prevent maternity and neonatal mortality and morbidity
‘’Thirteen secondary healthcare facilities out of the 33 general hospitals are being rehabilitated and equipped. Contract has been awarded for the reconstruction, remodelling and equipping of additional health facilities at the Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital, Tudun Wada,” she added.
The commissioner added that the state has renovated and equipped the warehouse of the “Kaduna State Health Supplies Management Agency to a pharma-grade standard, which has 1,600 sqm with a storage capacity of 8,000 cubic metres of pharmaceutical products, with a well-equipped quality control laboratory.”
She further said the state has procured and distributed over 975 stock-keeping units for public health facilities in the state and distributed state-of-the-art equipment to 290 PHC centres to aid diagnostic and therapeutic services.
The commissioner commended Governor Uba Sani for improving health financing in the state, saying that “the governor increased the enrolment rate for health insurance from 527,303 in 2023 to 639,432 in 2024, equivalent to a 21.3 per cent increase.”
‘’Furthermore, the governor approved the enrolment of 70,000 vulnerable populations into the Social Health Insurance scheme under the Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority.
‘’In addition, he released N52m as a 25 per cent counterpart contribution for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund programme for the enrolment of an additional 4,333 vulnerable persons,’’ she said.
Kaduna Specialist Hospital ready Soon, Says Commissioner is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Source: The Whistler
