By Sunusi Usaini Madobi
Health is wealth, is a common adage and it is on this note that the present administration in Jigawa State introduced numerous programmes aimed at enhancing effective, functional and qualitative health care delivery.
The Jigawa State Ministry of Health, under the charismatic leadership of Dr. Abba Zakari as the honourable commissioner for health has recorded significant achievements in the past two years.
This feat is quite expected considering the pedigree of Dr Zakari as a public health expert from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and having worked with several international development partners
The establishment of the Jigawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency with primary health care managers in all the 27 local government areas of the state is in line with the National Health Policy.
The agency would enhance service delivery across the 27 local government areas of Jigawa state and operate under one roof for the provision of qualitative health care, through training and re-training of health personnel in collaboration with development partners.
Other achievements of the health ministry include sponsorship of 67 indigent Jigawa state students who are currently studying medicine in China; rehabilitation of Gwaram and Birniwa General Hospital with construction of wards, theatres, kitchen and laundry; work is currently on going at the newly Birnin Kudu General Hospital; a new school of nursing has been established at Hadejia while arrangement is in the pipeline for the upgrading of Hadejia and Kazaure General Hospitals to specialist ones.
Also, in 2016 one primary health centre was constructed in each Jigawa State House of Assembly constituency totaling 30. In the currently 2017 fiscal year, contract has been awarded for the construction of 30 primary health centres in line with the National health policy of one basic health centre per ward; a nursing and midwives quarters has been constructed in hard to reach areas to take health services to the door steps of the people in the rural areas.
Four hundred and fifty health personnel were recently recruited, this include, community health practitioners, lab scientists, laboratory technicians, pharmacists, and medical record officers. Arrangement is in top gear to recruit medical officers and Nurses in order to provide existing hospitals with enough man power in all parts of the state; a new school of health is to be established in Babura with the funds allocated in this year’s budget.
Jigawa State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with several development partners, recorded significant achievements in several areas of health care deliver and health interventions. These areas include polio immunization, training and re-training of health personnel, reduction of child and maternal death, proper documentation of data in health facilities in the state, in addition to contact and consultation with relevant health institutions. All these have yielded fruitful result going by the tremendous achievements recorded.
A high powered committee under the state commissioner of health has succeeded in verifying all health personnel in the state through their pay roll slip and millions of naira was discovered during the exercise.
Through several programmes offered by the ministry with the support of other institutions several people with eye problem were treated free and provided with glasses. The series of training conducted by the ministry has boosted the confidence and morale of health personnel in the state.
The Dan Masara Specialist Hospital fully equipped with modern health equipment and highly skilled health personnel serves as referral centre from all parts of the state as well as neighbouring states due to the effective and sound health care services offered by the hospital.
Health indices have been fully strengthened for effective health care delivery and autonomy has been granted to general hospitals to enhance effective service delivery. The Jigawa Medicare Supply Organization, popularly known as JIMSO, is providing qualitative drugs on drug revolving fund to all health care centres in the state. This has contributed greatly in the provision of genuine and qualitative drugs at cheaper and affordable rates in the health clinics across the state.
The mutual relationship existing between the ministry, agencies under it, development partners and other key stakeholders is indeed commendable. It has made the service delivery in health result-oriented with professionalism and standards that are worthy of emulation by others.
During the formal commissioning of Jaudi primary health center in Dutse Local Government Area several development partners had commended the effort of the Jigawa State government for repositioning the health sector. They promised to offer more support to the state government, stressing the need for people in the state to make good use of health facilities by attending them regularly, for any symptom of ailment.
The numerous programmes introduced by the Jigawa State Ministry of Health have played a significant role to enhance service delivery at all levels. At this juncture, we appreciate the commitment of the Jigawa State government towards creating an enabling environment for the health sector to thrive. We equally urge the good people of the state to support government’s health programmes to make them successful.
Madobi wrote from Dutse, Jigawa state
Jigawa State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with several development partners, recorded significant achievements in several areas of health care deliver and health interventions
