Katsina government says it will establish modern primary health centres in 102 wards across the 34 local government areas of the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Bashir Gambo stated in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday in Katsina.
Gambo spoke while highlighting the achievements of the Dikko Radda administration in the last one year in the state.
“We have 361 political wards in the state; the State Executive Council has approved the establishment of functional PHCs in 102 wards, before the end of 2024.
“We will continue until each ward gets a functional health facility, so that people in the rural areas can access services easily whenever the need arises,” he said.
Gambo said the centres would be provided with equipment and personnel to attend to the patients daily on 24-hour basis.
He said the 102 PHCs would be established this year, while 259 others would be established before the expiration of the tenure of the administration.
According to him, the state government is currently upgrading Comprehensive Health Centres at Faskari; Kafur, Zango, Charanchi and Dandume to the General Hospital.
This, he said, are part of the commitment to bring healthcare services to the doorsteps of the people, especially at the grassroots.
“We have recruited manpower for health facilities and will continue to address shortage of manpower.
“Recently, the government offered foreign scholarships to over 40 students to study MBBS, they are expected to come back and render services to the people of the state,” he said.
On equipment, Gambo said the state would receive supply of medical supplies with 10 million dollars from the World Medical Relief.
“The equipment including MRI and CT scans, being shipped to Nigeria, will soon arrive for distribution to health facilities in the state”.
Gambo said the state government also awarded contract for the construction of an Imaging Center that would be used to examine human body, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of medical conditions.
“Previously, patients had to travel out of the state to seek for these services at high cost,” he said, adding that a 16-bed capacity Dialysis Centre would soon be inaugurated at the Amadi Rimi Specialist Hospital, Katsina.
He reitrated government commitment to enhance quality healthcare service delivery in the state.(NAN)