….To Inaugurate 300-bed Specialist Hospital At Millennium City Before End of 2024
By Our Correspondent
The Kaduna State Government Wednesday outlined its vision towards revolutionizing the health sector to achieve Universal Health Coverage and promote healthy lives for all .
The vision is structured around Five strategic objectives which are , enhancing health infrastructure, improving service delivery, strengthening human resources for health, ensuring the availability of essential medicines, and increasing sustainable health financing.
The State Commissioner for Health, Hajia Umma K. Ahmed who unveiled this at a news briefing in Kaduna, explained that the objectives were not just goals, as they represent a transformative agenda designed to significantly improve the health outcomes of the people.
As a practical demonstration, the Commissioner said, the State made health sector the 4th in ranking among other sectors through the 2024 budget allocation of N71.65 billion, representing15.6% of the state budget).
Here is the full text of the briefing
Distinguished members of the press, ladies and gentlemen, it is a privilege to share with you today the outstanding advancements made in the health sector of Kaduna State under the dedicated leadership of His Excellency, Governor Uba Sani. Since taking office on 29th May, 2023, Governor Uba Sani has shown an unwavering commitment to revolutionizing healthcare delivery, driven by his SUSTAIN manifesto, which emphasizes the critical importance of investing in human capital development.
Vision for Health:
Governor Uba Sani’s ambitious vision for the health sector aims to achieve Universal Health Coverage and promote healthy lives for all residents of Kaduna State. This vision is structured around five strategic objectives: enhancing health infrastructure, improving service delivery, strengthening human resources for health, ensuring the availability of essential medicines, and increasing sustainable health financing. These are not just goals; they represent a transformative agenda designed to significantly improve the health outcomes of our citizens. The 2024 budget allocates N71.65 billion (15.6% of the state budget) to health, marking a significant investment in the sector. This made the health sector the 4th in ranking among other sectors in the State. The SUSTAIN Agenda of His Excellency, The Governor’s administration has further provided a platform for the judicious utilization of these funds.
1. Infrastructure Development:
An ambitious program has been initiated to complete and inaugurate the 300-bed specialist hospital at millennium city before the end of 2024. In the last quarter of 2024, we shall be inviting you to attend the august occasion to commission the facility that boost of state-of-the-art medical equipment aiming to transform and reform the State health care delivery while also reducing medical tourism. This center also has an oncology unit for the research, diagnosis and treatment of cancers. Our investment in infrastructure cut across the spectrum health that is the primary, secondary and tertiary facilities we have in the state.
This is done to ensure every level of care is transformed to provide the best care for our people. In this vein therefore, the government is upgrading 9 secondary facilities, 3 each in the senatorial districts. The hospitals are GH Maigana with 72% completion, GH Rigasa with 69% completion, GH Gwantu with 65% Completion, GH Ikara with 47% completion, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Memorial Hospital Kafanchan with 43% completion, General Hospital Giwa with 45% completion. The newly awarded hospital of Dabo Lere Memorial Hospital, Lere, GH Sabon Tasha and RH Kachia were handed over to the Contractors who are currently mobilizing to commence work. These facilities are currently at various stages of extensive reconstruction, re-modelling, and equipping as part of the Kaduna State Government’s initiative to improve healthcare infrastructure.
Additionally, the State is upgrading 30 high-volume healthcare facilities into “centers of excellence,” ensuring that residents, particularly in rural areas, have access to modern healthcare services.
2. Enhancing Service Delivery:
To improve service delivery, His Excellency, Governor Uba Sani has approved the distribution of modern medical equipment worth over 3 billion naira to 290 upgraded PHCs, significantly enhancing their capacity to provide quality healthcare services. Additionally, the State intervention in nutrition is designed to ensure that malnutrition is treated and prevented by ensuring children receive adequate nutrients for sustained growth and development even after recovery. Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) plays a crucial role in addressing malnutrition, particularly in children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. His Excellency, the Governor has just directed the distribution of 31,000 cartoons which is equivalent to 4,650,000 doses of RUTF.
3. Training and Capacity Building of Healthcare Workers:
Over 2,000 healthcare workers have received training in vital specialties like nutrition, health promotion this is aimed at ensuring that our communities receive skilled and compassionate health care personnel. Additionally, 1,354 Community Health Influencers, Promoters, and Service Providers (CHIPS) were engaged across 14 Local Government Areas to extend healthcare reach and bring essential services closer to the people.
4. Renewal of Memorandum of Understanding with Pharmaceutical Group of Manufacturing Association of Nigeria:
The Memorandum of Understanding between the State and the Pharmaceutical Group of Manufacturing Association of Nigeria has been renewed. This aims to ensure that quality medicines and health supplies are consistently available, affordable, and equitably distributed to meet the health needs of the population. In addition, distribution of medicines and other health supplies by Kaduna state Health supply management agency (KADHSMA) to health facilities is now 100%, thereby enhancing universal health coverage in the State.
5. Upgrading of the State Medical Stores at KADHSMA to Pharmagrade Standard:
In partnership with the Global Fund and the Federal Ministry of Health, the State Medical Stores at KADHSMA have been upgraded to Pharmagrade standards. This ensures best practices in storage, warehousing, and inventory management of medicines and health commodities. The upgraded warehouse include a laboratory for testing the quality of stored medicines, ensuring that only quality medications are dispensed to patients.
6. Establishment of Medical Oxygen Plants:
The State Government, in collaboration with UNICEF, has established an additional Medical Oxygen Plant at Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital, Tudun Wada, demonstrating a commitment to closing the medical oxygen gap in our healthcare system. This initiative, alongside the existing plant at Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Memorial Hospital, Kafanchan, aims to save lives and improve healthcare quality. Plans are also underway for two additional Medical Oxygen Plants in the State. Notably, Kaduna State is the first in the country to establish a Medical Oxygen Framework for the smooth operation of the Medical Oxygen System.
7. Establishment of Neonatal Centre at Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital:
In partnership with UNICEF, a fully equipped Neonatal Centre has been established at Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital. This significant initiative aims to reduce neonatal mortality and morbidity by providing specialized care for premature babies and those with medical conditions requiring intensive monitoring. The center will also serve as a training facility for healthcare professionals to enhance the quality of care and ultimately improve infant health outcomes in the State.
8. Review of Service Level Agreement and Resumption of Aerial Drone Delivery:
Under Governor Senator Uba Sani’s guidance, the Service Level Agreement with Fly Zipline International Nigeria Limited has been reviewed to enhance delivery of medicines, vaccines, blood products and other health supplies to hard-to-reach locations. Aerial drone delivery offers a just-in-time logistics solution, ensuring that essential medical supplies are available to remote health facilities across the State.
9. Maternal and Child Health Initiatives:
The health sector’s initiatives in maternal and child health, supported by Governor Sani, have transformed lives. Over two million children have received vitamin A supplementation, and more than 300,000 women and children have benefited from Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) interventions. Maintaining low vaccine stock-out rates and achieving over 90% coverage during Supplemental Immunization Activities.
10. Support for Vulnerable Communities:
His Excellency, the Governor commitment to vulnerable communities is unwavering. The State has reached over 18,500 individuals with primary healthcare interventions in nine security-compromised Local Government Areas and successfully vaccinated over 102,000 children during special outreach interventions. These efforts demonstrate our dedication to providing essential healthcare services to marginalized populations.
11. Digital Health Initiatives:
Governor Sani believes in the power of digitalization in the healthcare system for improved service delivery. The State has digitized 95% of State Primary Healthcare Board (SPHCB) staff data, marking a significant modernization in health system management. This innovation enhances our ability to monitor and improve health service delivery, benefiting citizens of th state.
12. Electronic Medical Record (EMR):
The EMR Initiative is a milestone in the digitalization of the State Medical Record System. Its implementation at BDTH has transformed healthcare delivery, offering improved patient care and safety. Governor Sani has approved plans to pilot EMR in nine (9) Secondary health facilities of Gambo Sawaba General Hospital Kofan Gayan Zaria, General Hospital Rigasa, Dr. Gwamna Awan General Hospital Kakuri, Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Memorial Hospital Kafanchan, Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital Tudun Wada, General Hospital Sabon Tasha, Dabo Lere Memorial Hospital, Saminaka, Jibrin Mai Gwari Memorial Hospital, Birnin Gwari and Rural Hospital Kachia, with the EMR through PPP arrangement in order to harness the advantages and prospects therein.
13. Substance Abuse Initiatives:
His Excellency, the Governor efforts in addressing substance abuse and mental health through KADBUSA have led to the establishment of 17 PHC-based Drop-In Centers. These centers provide screening, brief interventions, counseling, and supportive care for substance use disorders and mental health issues, benefiting over 2,095 individuals, alongside four Community Prevention Centers for out-of-school children and adolescents.
The state have created Innovative Systems like KdCHAMPS in collaboration with UNODC, trained 390 Secondary School teachers on the Unplugged School-based life and social skills training program currently serving 32,500 students in 65 secondary schools, and trained 34 community football coaches who are currently implementing the Line Up Live Up (LuLu) Sports-based drug abuse and delinquency prevention program for 1020 children in 8 vulnerable communities in the State. Additionally, we have kicked off the Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) program by training 54 Judges and 40 Case Care Managers and Law enforcement officers on the ATI program.
14. Health Financing:
His Excellency, the Governor, through the Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Agency (KADCHMA), has significantly expanded health insurance coverage. This includes 10,000 vulnerable individuals in the Vulnerable Population Programme and 83,367 under the Basic Health Care Provision Funds. The recent approval to enroll an additional 70,000 poor and vulnerable individuals into the Social Health Insurance scheme highlights the administration’s commitment to accessible and affordable quality healthcare for all.
15. Project 10 Million Mass Screening of Hypertension, Diabetes, and BMI:
The Governor, has approved the Project 10 Million initiative to screen 10 million Nigerians for hypertension and diabetes over a week in October 2024 a project initiated by the HCH forum. This project aims to promote early detection and control of cardio-metabolic diseases, emphasizing the slogan “Know Your Numbers, Control Your Numbers.” Teams of trained healthcare workers have begun screening staff from various ministries, with plans to deploy 278 teams to communities across all 255 wards in the State. Kaduna is targeting to screen over 400,000 people. The screening is available for everyone aged 18 and above, creating awareness for timely health decisions and reducing complications.
16. Commissioning and Handover of 46 motorcycles and two Hilux trucks:
The Governor had just commissioned and distributed 46 motorcycles and two Hilux trucks to the LG TB, leprosy and Buruli Ulcer supervisors to support their task of conducting active community TB and HIV case finding in the state. This event will also include the dissemination of key policy documents like the Kaduna State Public Health Law and the One Health Strategic Plan.
17. Dissemination of policy documents;
The governor had also unveiled 3 strategic health policy documents and a public health law that will positively impact the health and lives of all citizens of Kaduna state, strengthen our human resource for health, epidemic preparedness and response as well as cater for the health of mothers, children, adolescents and the elderly. These policy documents when implemented will lead to the reduction of mortality and morbidity due to health related conditions. Kaduna state is the first state in the country to finalize and disseminate a one health strategy plan and present a roadmap to achieving harmonization of disease control by utilizing the one health approach. We will be at the forefront of the battle to tackle emerging and reemerging diseases affecting diseases globally.
18. Establishment of Kaduna State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (KADSEMSAS):
Following the onboarding by the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (NEMSAS), the establishment of KADSEMSAS has just begun. This initiative will enhance emergency response and healthcare delivery through 24/7 access to care, improved patient outcomes, and better coordination during disasters. It aims to reduce mortality rates and create employment opportunities while strengthening the health sector infrastructure.
It also plays a vital role in saving lives, improving healthcare delivery, and building a resilient and responsive healthcare system for the people of Kaduna State.
18. Public-Private Partnership in Health:
Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) involve collaborative agreements between government agencies and private entities to deliver healthcare services. Governor Uba Sani has implemented mechanisms for PPP that enhance access to healthcare, improve quality, and increase efficiency.
Agreements were signed, through Memoranda of Understanding and Service Level Agreements, with many organizations and Donor Agencies including international organizations like United nation Children fund (UNICEF), Dangote Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation (BMGF), Clinton Health Initiatives (CHAI), Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Group of Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN), the World bank, Fly Zipline International Nigeria Limited, Lafiya health Programme, The Global Fund(GF), Society for Family Health (SFH) among others. The interventions, some of which I mentioned above, holistically cut across all health strata to improve health outcomes with the overall aim of improving the health status and index of the good people of the State.
Conclusion:
These achievements reflect His Excellency, the Governor’s vision and efforts to enhance the health status of the people of Kaduna State. As we progress into 2024-2027, our focus will be on improving service delivery, strengthening human resources, ensuring medicine availability, and securing sustainable health financing. The administration is committed to making quality healthcare accessible to all, with notable advancements in primary healthcare and specialized services. I encourage all stakeholders to review the detailed fact sheet prepared, which outlines our transformative work in the health sector.
Thank you for your continued support of our mission to improve the lives of the people of Kaduna State.
God bless Kaduna State. God bless Nigeria,” She concludes.
