The Katsina State Government has expended N13.4 billion to upgrade 146 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to boost the delivery of healthcare services in the state.
The State Deputy Governor, Faruk Lawal-Jobe, made the disclosure at a monthly press briefing in Katsina on Tuesday. Mr Lawal-Jobe said at least four PHCs were upgraded in each of the 34 local government areas of the state.
The government, he said, also approved the renovation and upgrading of comprehensive health centres in Rimi, Faskari, Dandume and Zango LGAs at a cost of about N3.7 billion.
According to him, the government also renovated and upgraded the General Hospital Kafur and structures at the General Hospital, Kankia, at about N739.5 million.
Mr Lawal-Jobe said that the State Primary Healthcare Agency spent N1.9 billion to provide effective healthcare delivery services to the people.
“These activities included, among others, the construction of a dry store, purchased and distributed laptop computers to LGA monitoring and evaluation officers,” he said.
“This was to bolster data management to enhance evidence-based decision making in healthcare delivery.”
He noted that the government also procured and distributed drugs to contain the diphtheria outbreak as part of non-polio supplementary immunisation activities, where 2,216,573 eligible children were vaccinated.
The deputy governor added that the government distributed 360 motorcycles to ward focal persons for routine immunisation and other related exercises during the period under review.
“So far, a total of 438 personnel were engaged for the success of the exercise,” he said.
He said the government had converted the COVID-19 isolation centre into a psychiatric hospital at a total cost of N65.8 million.
Similarly, Mr Lawal-Jobe revealed that the former psychiatric hospital building was upgraded and converted to the permanent site of the College of Nursing and Midwifery at the cost of N104.4 million.
He said the government also sustained the free Medicare Policy for free delivery, antenatal, dialysis, cesarean section, and other services.
“In this regard, the sum of N397,000,000 was expended during the period under review,” he said.
“This exercise is meant to assist the teeming population of Katsina State, especially the less-privileged, to have access to basic healthcare services with relative ease.”
NAN
