By Asma’u Ahmad
The Jigawa State Government said it has constructed 27 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and 27 Midwives Staff Quarters in the state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abba Zakari, made this known to newsmen in Dutse, the state capital.
Dr. Zakari said that the facilities were provided in each of the 27 Local Government Areas of the state at the cost of N573.6 million.
He explained that the gesture was to address the shortage of health workers in the state.
The commissioner stated that the fund was generated through a counterpart funding with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) where the state contributed 50 per cent of the total sum.
According to him, the state government will also spend N98.2 million to equip the health centres, while N25.5 million would be expended on furnishing the hostels.
Dr. Zakari added that the government is currently upgrading Kafinhausa Cottage Hospital, in Kafinhausa LGA to a general hospital.
“Also, renovation is ongoing at Gumel, Ringim and Babura local governments” general hospitals,” he added.
He further disclosed that the state government had concluded plans to construct two Lassa Fever Wards, close to its Ebola Centre, near Rashid Shekoni Specialist Hospital in the state capital.
The commissioner noted that the gesture was to ensure quick intervention against epidemic outbreak in the state.
According to him, a new specialist hospital will soon be built in the Hadejia town, headquarters of Hadejia LGA.
He added that the ministry would soon commence the second phase of all health workers biometric data aimed at fishing out ghost workers.
