Minna General Hospital No Longer Serving Health Needs of Our People, Bago Declares

•Thumbs down on state of facility  

•Mimiko: Nigeria must re-strategise to recover the brain drain in health sector

Fidelis David in Akure and Laleye Dipo in Minna

Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has thumbed down the Minna general hospital, saying the hospital built more than 50 years ago could no longer serve the health needs of the people.

Bago also lamented that the bench in the eye centre was the one that has been there since he was a child.

The governor who paid an unscheduled visit to the hospital said the “facility has been overstretched for many years, and its current state poses a serious challenge to effective healthcare delivery in the capital and beyond.”

In a related development, a former governor of Ondo State,  Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has said the policies of government in the health sector, if adequately funded and pursued with needed determination would stem the emigration of health personnel from Nigeria and reduce gaping lapses in health care provision.

A statement by the governor’s Special Adviser on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso, disclosed that Bago has therefore declared a state of emergency on the facility because of the urgent need to give it a total overhaul.

“The General Hospital Minna, in its present condition, can no longer serve its purpose. It is overstretched, outdated, and unsafe. What we need now is a modern, functional, and efficient health facility that reflects our vision for a healthier Niger State.

“Our administration is committed to building systems that work. Health is a priority, and we are determined to ensure that people feel the impact of government through visible improvements in healthcare delivery,” Bago submitted.

The governor has immediately set up a committee of Special Advisers and relevant stakeholders to carry out a full assessment of the hospital and propose practical solutions.