By Muhammad Amaan
The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to take over ownership of the Snakebite Hospital and Research Centre, Kaltungo Local Government Area of Gombe State.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said this during an inspection tour of the facility last Friday alongside Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya Gombe State.
He said the move was aimed at improving the health status of rural dwellers in the North-East region and neighbouring countries.
He said President Bola Tinubu focused on improving the health of all citizens through viable initiatives being implemented across the country.
“The federal government has agreed with the state government and made arrangements to takeover the treatment centre that will serve not only Gombe State but other states.
“The facility will not only be for clinical services but teaching and perhaps research and ultimately with a view to producing some of the anti-snake venoms in our country so that we can be able to take care of our patients.
“The snakebite treatment centre we have seen here in Kaltungo, it is full to capacity. It is being used; patients from all states in the northeast and even neighbouring countries come for treatment.
“This is because snakebite is a major problem particularly in agricultural communities, especially during rainy season and harvest season,” he said.
Prof. Pate said the Tinubu-led administration focused on transforming Nigeria’s health system in partnership with the 36 state governments.
He lauded Governor Yahaya for investing in healthcare human resource development and implementation of the CONMESS/CONHESS salary structure for health workers in the state.
The minister said the state government’s efforts towards revamping the health sector aligned with the Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Also, Governor Yahaya commended Tinubu for supporting the transformation of its health system, adding the federal government and development partners supported infrastructural reforms in the state’s health sector.
He pledged to sustain the transformation programmes to ensure that residents of the state enjoy better service delivery health facilities.
“Our cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Health, and equally the development partners helped a lot in achieving this.
“We are ready to escalate that. There’s no limit to which we can go towards improving the health and overall wellbeing of our people,” the governor said.
