By ABDULLAHI JALALUDDEEN; Editing by BASIRAT MEMUDU
The Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran, says the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has achieved about 90 per cent of its healthcare blueprint within three years in office.
Labaran stated this while briefing journalists in Kano on the achievements recorded by the administration in the health sector.
He said the government had fully implemented the Abuja Declaration on Health, demonstrating its commitment to improving healthcare delivery across the State.
The commissioner said the administration had sanitised admissions into health training institutions by introducing a digital admission process, thereby eliminating widespread fraud that previously cost the State over N1 billion.
He added that the government had also revived the training and retraining of healthcare personnel, restoring professionalism and credibility in the sector.
According to him, the administration has secured accreditation for several health-related courses from relevant regulatory bodies and created opportunities for medical doctors to advance to consultant status.
He noted that these measures had strengthened the capacity of healthcare institutions and improved service delivery.
Labaran said the government was tackling maternal mortality through the provision of free healthcare services for pregnant women, including free Caesarean sections in more than 30 government hospitals.
The Commissioner disclosed that over N60 million was being spent monthly to support the programme and ensure access to quality maternal healthcare.
He further explained that ambulances had been provided to all the 44 local government areas to facilitate emergency services, particularly for pregnant women in labour.
Labaran added that the government had procured 484 mini ambulances for distribution to all the wards in the state to address transportation challenges during medical emergencies.
The commissioner also revealed that the administration had rehabilitated 320 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and was working towards ensuring that each ward in the state had a functional PHC.
He said additional health personnel had been recruited through collaboration between the state and federal governments and deployed to the facilities.
Labaran said the government was equally committed to strengthening secondary healthcare services in all the 44 local government areas.
He noted that the administration inherited a situation where drug availability in hospitals stood at only 30 per cent but had significantly improved the situation by attracting investors and ensuring prompt payment for supplies.
The commissioner described the establishment of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control as another major milestone of the administration, noting that the facility had enhanced the state’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to public health emergencies.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to sustaining investments in the health sector to ensure accessible, affordable and quality healthcare services for all residents of the State.
