By Francis Sardauna
The Katsina State Government in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank has concluded arrangements to establish additional 361 Comprehensive Primary Healthcare Centres across the three senatorial zones of the state.
Governor Aminu Masari stated this during an interactive session with journalists in commemoration of the 2020 Democracy Day at the Government House.
He said the primary healthcare centres would tremendously complement the services being rendered by general hospitals for effective and efficient health service delivery in the state.
According to him, “We are working with the Islamic Development Bank to get additional over 361 Comprehensive Primary Healthcare Centres, both drawing and everything have been forwarded to them.
“Part of our plans was to build infectious disease hospital. Luckily enough, NNPC and other oil partners are constructing infectious diseases centres, so we can now use the money for other medical facilities.”
He stated that the state government had passed an Act that would bring all health workers in the state under the one roof health policy to reduce fragmentation in the delivery of primary healthcare services.
The governor explained that his administration had so far employed over 2,000 doctors, nurses, midwives and laboratory technicians to spearhead the affairs of medical facilities in the state.
He said the employment of health workers would continue after three months because “every three months we have people who are retiring from service”.
Masari said: “We have employed over 2,000 health workers — doctors, nurses, midwifes, laboratory technicians and other auxiliary staff. Recently, we passed an act that will bring healthcare centres under one roof. We were in the process of deployment of staff when we were caught up with Covid-19.
“So, immediately after Covid-19, we will continue and make sure that all health workers right from local government up to state are under one roof.
“And again, Covid-19 has helped us to build a hospital because IDPs Centre has been converted to a full fledged hospital. The hospital will continue to function even after Covid-19 as a regular hospital.
“We will try very hard to find specialization so that the doctors and nurses that would be posted there will be professionally trained in a particular direction.”
