Sokoto -The Sokoto State Government says it will establish a new medical school, an infectious diseases hospital, and a state-of-the-art renal and cardiac centre.
Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of the state said this at the opening of the 58th meeting of National Council on Health in Sokoto on Thursday.
Tambuwal said the proposed health facilities would provide training and research.
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
“They will also complement existing health facilities in the provision of quality healthcare services across the state.’’
He further said that his administration had introduced other policies that had impacted positively in the health sector of the state.
One of such, according to him, is the introduction of the community midwifery scheme to train more midwives and traditional birth attendants.
This crop of health workers, the governor explained, will serve at community levels in all parts of the state.
“This programme will in due course be expanded to essentially achieve sustainable reduction in maternal, infant and child morbidity and mortality in the state.
“The state government has intensified health surveillance and other prevention mechanisms which have resulted in Sokoto being certified as polio, Ebola and Lassa fever free,” he said.
Besides, Tambuwal said the state government had entered into partnership agreement with the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto, for specialised trainings.
The synergy, according to the governor, is aimed at improving quality of care and universal healthcare.
“The areas include manpower training, health services delivery, rural outreach programme, road traffic accident and emergency response care, and primary healthcare coverage,” Tambuwal added.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said that the Federal Government was committed to revolutionising healthcare delivery systems in the country.
Adewole said that the theme for this year’s meeting is Universal Health Coverage as an Agenda for Change.
He said: “The Universal Health Coverage holds the key to unlocking the health potential of the country.
“Our National Health Act is our national heritage, all State Governments must key into its provisions for better healthcare delivery,” he charged.
Adewole said that the federal government was partnering with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to fully utilise youth corps doctors in manning Primary Health Centres in all the local government areas in the country.
According to him, “Federal Government will also ensure availability of one Secondary Health facility per one local government area in Nigeria.”
He revealed plans to eradicate mother-to-child HIV infection in the next two years.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Balarabe Kakale, said due to the commitment of the present administration and its partners, the number of children immunised against polio and other childhood killer diseases. (NAN)