Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed has advocated for the establishment of a functional Polymerase Chain Reaction Centre (PCR) in Bauchi.
The Governor requested the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to assist in facilitating the establishment of the centre to improve the state’s capacity in the management of infectious diseases.
The Governor made the request at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Ministerial retreat of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare held at the Event Centre, Bauchi on Tuesday.
Bala Mohammed noted that, despite having qualified staff and molecular laboratories, Bauchi is currently taking samples to Gombe state, resulting in delays and increased costs.
The Governor represented by his Deputy, Mohammed Auwal Jatau, also appealed to the Federal Ministry of Education to facilitate the inclusion of health training institutions in the TETFund’s intervention in a move to enhance healthcare training in the state.
He said that his administration has understood the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to build a healthy and prosperous nation, hence it remains opened for partnerships with the Federal Government, International donor organizations, NGOs, and the private sector to save lives and enhance the wellbeing of the citizens.
According to him, “Since the inception of our administration in 2019, it has declared a state of emergency in the health sector which paved way to prioritize healthcare in the state’s budgets with the allocation of over 15% of the total budget in line to Abuja declaration.”
Bala Mohammed noted that the administration’s focus has also been on health infrastructure, with major renovations in hospitals and health centers, saying that it has renovated 27 General Hospitals across the state and it is working to upgrade over 1,200 primary healthcare centers, ensuring that they are equipped with state-of-the- art medical equipment.
He said, “Our administration has made significant strides in providing physical infrastructure across sectors, with recognising that the real asset of a prosperous state lies in human capital. This is why our focus has now shifted to building human capacity, particularly within the social sector.
“Unfortunately, our healthcare system still struggles with a shortage of qualified personnel. To address this, we have lifted the long-standing embargo on the recruitment of healthcare workers, and over 3,000 new staff have been employed.
“We are committed to ensuring that healthcare workers, especially those in rural areas, receive competitive salaries and allowances. A high-level committee has already recommended aligning state healthcare workers’ salaries with federal standards, and we are working to implement these changes.
“Additionally, we are cleaning up our payroll and eliminating ghost workers to ensure that resources are directed where they are needed most.
“Today, we also celebrate the official handover of the General Hospital Misau to the Federal Government to serve as the new Federal Medical Center Misau.
“This demonstrates our administration’s commitment to improving access to healthcare for our citizens. In addition, we have pledged to continue paying staff salaries for the next six months to ensure a smooth transition.”
Turning to the retreat, the Governor described it as an opportunity for all stakeholders to reflect on the state of the nation’s healthcare system and explore innovative ways to strengthen it with believing that the outcomes will translate into actionable policies that will benefit the people of Bauchi and Nigeria at large.
He added that the retreat is a testament to the Federal Government’s commitment to improving healthcare across Nigeria, and in Bauchi State is proud to be part of the mission and acknowledged the unwavering support of donor partners, particularly WHO, UNICEF, USAID, and the Global Fund, for strengthening health sector.
Bala Mohammed, while welcoming the launching of the State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (SEMSAS), observed that it will play a critical role in reducing maternal mortality, particularly in rural areas, and ensure that emergency medical services are accessible to all.
The Governor then pleaded for maximum accreditation slots in the state’s health training institutions to build a sustainable health workforce for the future and therefore once again called on indigenous healthcare workers to return home and contribute to the development of Bauchi State healthcare system.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, had earlier explained that the retreat is important for leadership direction to enable the Federal Ministry of Health ensure full and effective implementation of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the health sector.
The Coordinating Minister stressed the importance of having a retreat to take stock of the achievements recorded and be able to plan ahead more strategies on the implementation of the programmes outlined.
Ali Pate added that in order to achieve the set objectives of the health sector, there is always the need to keep abreast as new issues are emerging every second in the health sector.
He then commended Bauchi State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir for the tremendous attention given to the health sector of the state which he observed is making healthcare service delivery accessible to the people of the state.
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