By Asma’u Ahmad
The Kano State Government says it will establish one apex health facility in all the 484 electoral wards as part of effort to boost healthcare delivery in rural areas.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kabiru Ibrahim Getso, disclosed this while briefing newsmen as part of activities to commemorate the World Malaria Day on Tuesday in Kano.
Dr. Kabiru Ibrahim Getso
Newsmen reports that the World Health Assembly set aside April 25, as World Malaria Day to commemorate, reflect and assess collective progress towards elimination of Malaria globally.
He said establishing the facility was necessary in order to provide minimum package of care especially in rural areas which is in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda of establishing one functional primary healthcare per ward. He said the state government had fully assessed no fewer than 185 primary healthcare centres, pointing out that 85 are being upgraded to functional status.
He said the state government had also planned to employ over 100 healthcare workers in addition to the 500 that had been employed to ensure provision of adequate human resources for the health sector. “Operation of policy of ‘no embargo’ on employment of critical manpower for health sector is still in force,” Dr. Getso said.
According to him, the state government had supported the provision of drugs and other health commodities to health facilities through a DRF programme being run by the state. On malaria, the commissioner said between January and March, the state recorded 321,532 fever cases out of which 304,520 cases were tested for malaria by rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and microscopy.
He explained that out of the 304,520 cases that tested for malaria, 192,433 were found to be positive out of which 179,939 cases were given free treatment with ACT drug. However, he advised residents to ensure consistent environmental sanitation and hygiene, early health seeking behavior and regular ante-natal visits to curb the menace of malaria in the state.
