.The Kebbi State Governor, Comrade Dr Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu, has commissioned the newly renovated Arugungu General Hospital.
Commissioning the hospital in Argungu on Monday, the governor said the hospital, which renovation gulped close to N1 billion received a first hand renovation with supply of state-of-the-art facilities with a view to bringing tertiary healthcare services to grassroots.
He also gave a directive for the immediate sack of the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Dr Emanuel Ehiem due to administrative lapses.
Gov. Idris recalled that a patient, who was responding to treatment at the hospital sent him a text message on the condition of the hospital and the poor services they have been receiving.
“In view of this, I personally drove my vehicle with my ADC and arrived at the hospital at about 11p.m. in order to have a first hand information about the hospital. I was not happy with what I saw at the hospital as at then.
“However, it is my sincere pleasure and profound gratitude to Allah that I stand here before you today, as we gather to witness the commissioning and revitalisation of this hospital.
“We cannot spend huge amount of money to revitalise the hospital and allow somebody to come and waist it,” he said.
According to him, the intervention is part of his campaign promises to deliver the dividends of democracy to his people.
He explained that the revitalisation project, which was completed at the total cost of over N973 million was one out of the six health facilities that his administration had planned for revitalisation and upgrade.
The governor added that: “Other hospitals are Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital, The State Teaching Hospital at Kalgo and General Hospitals at Yauri, Zuru and Koko.
“This revitalisation project will increase the capacity of these hospitals to provide both quality, accessible and affordable secondary and tertiary health care services to our people through infrastructural upgrade, provision of modern hospital equipment and additional human resources.”
He enumerated some remarkable achievements of his tenure in the areas of health system strengthening, human resource for health, health infrastructure and healthcare financing.
The governor said his administration had made huge investment in the health sector in order to improve on the quality, accessibility and affordability of basic health care services to the people and reduce mortality and morbidity rate among the citizens.
“Other investment includes, upgrading of Kebbi Medical Centre Kalgo to a State Teaching Hospital, review of Consolidated Medical Salary Scale to mitigate brain drain among our medical personnel, upward review of allowances of our medical science students and procurement and distribution of brand new ambulances to our hospitals to improve referral system.
“Others are recent renovation and equipping of 13 Primary Health Centers across the state services and and the installation of Solar Power System to the State Teaching Hospital to complement the power supply from the National grid and ensure 24 hour uninterrupted power supply for efficient service delivery,” he noted.
He noted with satisfaction that the Kebbi State had successfully keyed in to IMPACT World Bank funded PROJECT which would soon commence activities.
“The project is going to focus on Primary Healthcare Strengthening to cater for infrastructural development and health services improvement.
“This is part of State and National efforts towards achieving the goal of Universal Health Coverage by 2030 as envisioned in the Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations,” the governor said.
