Governor Umaru Bago has inaugurated modern health facilities aimed at ending medical tourism and strengthening specialised healthcare delivery.

In Minna on Monday, the facilities at the IBB Specialist Hospital include newly constructed cabin wards for male and female patients.

The inaugurated facilities include newly constructed male and female cabin wards, a protacabin wing, a fully equipped Accident and Emergency Unit and a state-of-the-art radio diagnostics suite.

Mr Bago said the hospital now boasts a renal dialysis centre, electrocardiogram services, mammogram, X-ray, CT Scan, and a modern surgical theatre, which he adjudged one of the best in sub-Saharan Africa.

According to him, the facilities underscore his administration’s resolve to prioritise healthcare and position the state as a hub for advanced medical services in Nigeria and beyond.

“In Niger, we have continued to lead in the provision of primary healthcare delivery. We have completed 20 Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres, and we are going for another 110,” he said.

The governor disclosed that Niger was also working on revitalising its 22 general hospitals and had recruited 1,500 health workers to strengthen service delivery across the facilities.

Mr Bago attributed the strides in the health sector to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, noting that increased resources to subnationals have enabled states to execute impactful projects.

He reiterated his administration’s vision to build a “New Niger” where citizens would enjoy the dividends of democracy, especially in accessible, affordable healthcare.

The governor said that complex surgeries such as brain and spinal cord operations, knee replacements and other major procedures were now being conducted at the hospital.

He revealed that the government had signed agreements with medical partners in Egypt and Russia to enhance service delivery, including a pact that would see between 20 and 50 Egyptian doctors visit the state monthly for specialised services and training.

Mr Bago added that 250 telemedicine machines would be deployed across 25 council areas to reduce the burden of travelling from rural communities to urban centres for medical consultations.

To ensure an uninterrupted power supply, he said, the hospital would be taken off the national grid and connected to a two-megawatt solar power system to ensure efficient operations.

The Niger governor further announced the creation of an employment portal to scale up the medical workforce from 500 to 5,000 personnel, offering competitive remuneration, doctors’ quarters, accommodation, and transportation to attract professionals.

(NAN)