Gov. Bala Muhammed of Bauchi State on Thursday approved the release of N200 million as state counterpart fund to Bill, Melinda Gate and Dangote Foundation.
Muhammed announced this in Bauchi in a Video conferencing during 2019 Mid-year review meeting.
He explained that the amount was out of the N339 million state government’s own counterpart fund for 2019.
Muhammed further announced that the state government would also release N19 million demanded by the State Primary Health Care Development Agency for routine immunisation.
According to him, the state government under his watch will ensure prompt release of such funds to revamp the health sector which he inherited in a shambles.
He, therefore, declared a state of emergency in the health sector and promised that he would equate number of health workers serving both in urban and rural areas.
The governor commended the foundation over such laudable initiative and assured that his administration would strengthen the primary health care system in the state.
He directed the staff members of the primary health care development agency in the state to correct all abnormalities within the system and disparity recorded in data collections.
Mr Bill Gates and Alhaji Aliko Dangote had earlier observed with dismay poor attention and disparity in data collection and analysis by health officials.
They pointed out delay in release of fund meant for basket fund by the state government.
The co-contributors said that such delay might risk the receipt of new fund coming into the basket from the contributors.
They called on the state government to increase its budgetary allocation to health sector and to increase community participation.
They commended the state government for achieving zero free status of wild polio virus and urged it to sustain the tempo.(NAN)
