Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, on Saturday lamented the poor maintenance culture of infrastructure and facilities provided by the state government.

Mr Lawal spoke at the inauguration of the upgraded Maru General Hospital in the Maru Local Government Area of the state.

He said that the hospital was upgraded and equipped with the state-of-the-art facilities that met global standards.

The governor directed the Ministry of Health to ensure adequate maintenance of healthcare facilities provided in the state.

He said that the facilities provided at the hospital required effective maintenance, saying “Therefore, the Ministry of Health should put adequate measures to ensure that personnel to handle the equipment are well trained. Misusing these equipment will be a setback to this administration’s effort of providing health to all the citizens and the overall development of the state.”

Mr Lawal commended the contractors for doing a good job in renovating the structure and providing facilities that met global standards.

Earlier, Mr Lawal had laid a foundation for the reconstruction of the Mafara General Hospital in the Talata Mafara Local Government Area.

He said that the old hospital built in 1972 had outlived its usefulness in terms of size and equipment.

Mr Lawal explained that the new facility with a 200-bed capacity would provide secondary health services to the people of the commercial town.

According to him, the construction work will be completed within six months, adding that the hospital’s equipment had been procured.

In his remarks, the Special Guest at the event and former governor of the Old Sokoto State, Yahaya AbdulKarim, extolled the governor’s policies on healthcare delivery in the state.

He said that reconstructing the Mafara hospital would provide healthcare to the residents of Talata Mafara and its environs.

He called on the people to support the government in its efforts to provide basic facilities in the state.  

 (NAN)