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The Bauchi State Government has commenced the comprehensive rehabilitation and upgrade of the State Specialist Hospital, Bauchi, at a cost of over N19 billion. Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony at the hospital yesterday, Governor Bala Mohammed reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to providing modern healthcare facilities and improving citizens’ well-being. He described access to quality healthcare as a key priority of his government. The governor also revealed that efforts were ongoing to address challenges facing the Bill & Melinda Gates School of Health Technology, Ningi, noting that the institution’s expansion from a monotechnic to a polytechnic had created management issues that must be resolved. “We have a lot of challenges in that school, and we are working very hard. The way it’s being run is unacceptable, but we are doing our best to ensure it meets national standards,” he said. Mohammed further announced plans to establish a state-owned drugs and food manufacturing company to produce essential medicines locally for health service delivery. Read Also: Bauchi gov elevates elder brother, Duguri, to first-class emir He also disclosed that the state, in collaboration with the Federal Government and other partners, will soon launch a State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Scheme to provide 48-hour emergency care to residents. The governor appreciated the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammed Ali Pate, for his support, describing him as a dependable partner in strengthening the health sector. He highlighted other ongoing initiatives, including free rural emergency transport services, maternal ambulance schemes, and free maternal healthcare covering pregnancy through six weeks after childbirth. “We have also been providing other free services like immunisation, family planning, and HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and leprosy treatment,” he added. In his remarks, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sani Muhammad Dambam, commended the governor’s leadership, noting significant progress in health indices, including a reduction in maternal mortality from over 1,000 to 382 deaths per 100,000 women and an increase in immunisation coverage from 31% to 51%.
