Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger said the government would provide qualitative health care services to residents of the state.
This is contained in a statement by Mrs Mary Noel-Berje, Chief Press Secretary to Bello on Monday in Minna.
The governor said this when he paid an unscheduled visit to some ongoing health facilities within Minna metropolis.
Bello said there was need to ensure health facilities were built to standard, adding that remodelling of hospitals should be carried out according to specifications.
He lauded the ongoing North Central Multipurpose Diagnostic Centre at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) Specialist Hospital being constructed by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Total Nigeria.
The governor said the contractors handling the project had promised to deliver it by May, adding that equipment would be provided thereafter.
“I have been told it will be completed by May, so hopefully by May/June, this Diagnostic Centre will be put to use,” he said.
Bello also inspected the newly completed Primary Healthcare Development Agency Office, Ministries of Health, Commerce and Investment and Information, to ascertain their level of general renovation.
He said the renovation of the abandoned State Secretariat was to improve the welfare and working condition of Civil Servants.
“The secretariat has been abandoned for many years, we felt we should do some renovations to improve the welfare and working condition of our staff,” he said.
Bello, however, called for strict supervision of the project to ensure there was no compromise on quality.
Earlier, Dr Muhammed Makusidi, the state Commissioner for Health, said the hospital project was being funded by NNPC and Total Nigeria.
Makusidi said similar projects were ongoing in the six geo-political zones and the state was lucky to house that of the North Central at the IBB Specialist Hospital.
He said the facility was a multi-diagnostic centre where both emerging and conventional laboratory services including wards for admission would be made available.
The Commissioner said that the services to be provided by the centre were CT scan, mammogram for breast cancer, X-ray and ultrasound. (NAN)
