The Gombe State Government has constructed and equipped a 12-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at its Specialist Hospital, Dr Ahmed Gana, the state’s Commissioner for Health, has said.
Gana said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Friday while giving an account of Gov. Inuwa Yahaya’s stewardship in the health sector within one year in office.
According to him, the decision to construct the ICU was informed by the recommendations of a task force on health which was inaugurated by the governor to identify the challenges in the sector as well as solutions.
He said prior to the construction of the ICU unit, patients were being referred to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe.
Gana said the health sector under the Yahaya administration was accorded the highest priority in terms of intervention.
The commissioner said prior to the advent of the Yahaya administration, the health sector was in a state of decay, with the general hospitals across the state on the verge of collapse.
He said the Specialist Hospital, the premier health facility, also had its own challenges, although “90 per cent” had now been addressed in terms of equipment and expansion to meet demand.
Gana said within one year in office, the Accident, Emergency and Trauma Unit of the Specialist Hospital was demolished and reconstructed while the Maternity Ward was expanded and laboratories equipped.
He said digital X-ray machines were equally procured for the first time in the history of the state while a transit camp for the training of house officers was at the level of completion.
The commissioner also disclosed that the Medical and Dental Council would soon be visiting the state, preparatory to commencement of training of house officers.
The commissioner further said the governor facilitated relationships with international organisations to fund health activities in the state.
He said in the area of primary health care delivery, 114 primary health care facilities were identified across the 114 wards in the state and equipped for optimum service to the people at the grassroots.
Gana said allocating 10 per cent of the 2020 total budget was a clear indication that the governor had prioritised the health sector.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in January, Yahaya signed three bills into law in a bid to reposition the health sector for easy accessibility and affordability to a greater majority of the people in the state.
NAN reports that the bills earlier passed by the state House of Assembly included the Gombe State Management Board Law 2019 and Gombe State Contributory Healthcare Management Law, 2019.
Also passed was the Gombe State Council on Public Procurement and Public Procurement Bureau Law, 2019.(NAN)
