Gov Mai Mala Buni of Yobe has inaugurated 138 equipped Primary Health Care Centres (PHCC’s) and 88 customized tricycle ambulances in the state.
Speaking at Gwange PHCC in Damaturu, Buni noted that provision of the facilities is in fulfilment of his May 29, 20219, inaugural speech promise to make healthcare affordable and accessible in 178 wards across the state.
He said the completed 138 PHCC’s are part of a total of 178 PHCC’s he earlier promised to either construct, rehabilitate or upgrade.
“ This became necessary following the mass destruction of public structures including Health facilities, schools, electricity and water sources by the Boko Haram insurgency.
“ Similarly, this administration is determined to reform the health sector generally for a total transformation in healthcare delivery across the state,” the governor said.
Buni said his administration has upgraded eight PHCC’s to general hospitals in Bara, Buni Gari, Babbangida, Yunusari, Yusufari, Jaji-Maji, Machina, and Asibitin Malam Baba in Nguru.
He said four additional specialist hospitals were also established in Buni Yadi, Gashua, Geidam, and Potiskum to improve access to secondary and tertiary healthcare services across the state.
“ It is important to note that one of the cardinal objectives of our administration is to provide quality healthcare delivery to reduce mortality and morbidity rates due to communicable diseases, the governor said.
Buni said the 88 ambulances were procured and distributed to enhance access to health facilities, especially in hard to reach areas.
He said the contributory healthcare scheme earlier introduced by his administration for civil servants had enrolled over 200,000 vulnerable people under the Informal Sector of the scheme.
The governor said an Executive Bill was before the state House of Assembly for the establishment of Yobe State Emergency Medical Ambulance Service Agency, as part of efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality.
Buni said in order to address huge manpower gap in the sector, his administration would annually provide full scholarship to one female from each of the 178 wards in the state to study midwifery.
“ This necessitated the expansion of facilities at the Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery, Damaturu.
“ The Government will continue to absorb Nurses/Midwives and other skilled professional health workers being produced from our health training institutions to bridge the gaps in human resources for healthcare delivery,” he said.
“ This administration has also completed the construction of a 250-bed capacity Maternal and Child Health Care Complex at the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital (YSUTH), Damaturu, the largest complexThe governor commended development partners, traditional rulers and the state Ministry of Health for their various support to the health sector in the state.
In his remarks, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Lawan Gana, noted that the facilities had boosted the morale of health workers and increased patients visits to the centre
