Governor Uba Sani has led a major overhaul of Kaduna State’s health sector, achieving significant progress in infrastructure, facility upgrades, and the delivery of critical health services over the past 22 months, the state’s commissioner for health, Umma Ahmad, said.

Ms Ahmad said Mr Sani’s administration’s commitment to improving the sector has been marked by major reforms that aim to enhance access to quality healthcare for all residents.

At a ministerial press briefing in Kaduna on Friday, she outlined the various successes of the governor’s interventions.

According to her, Kaduna State achieved 100 per cent coverage of public health facilities in the distribution of medicines last year, a feat confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Health.

“The Kaduna State Health Supplies Management Agency (KADHSMA) has also been recognised with 10 prestigious awards, including the International Supply Chain Education Alliance’s Excellence in Supply Chain Award,” she said.

Further underscoring the progress, Ms Ahmad revealed that the National Product Supply Chain (NPSC) had ranked Kaduna as one of the first states to reach the “Maturing Ready To Integrate Level” for public health supply chains.

She said the state was awarded the 2024 Leadership Challenge Award for the North-West zone, solidifying Mr Sani’s significant role in the advancement of the health sector.

“Sani’s administration has prioritised the expansion and improvement of healthcare facilities, with 255 Primary Health Care (PHC) centres undergoing upgrades to provide essential emergency obstetric and neonatal care.

“This upgrade is aimed at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality rates in the state.

“Additionally, 13 of the 33 general hospitals are being rehabilitated, and plans are underway to remodel and equip the Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital in Tudun Wada,” she said.

In terms of logistics, she said the governor had modernised the KADHSMA warehouse to a pharma-grade standard, significantly enhancing the storage capacity for pharmaceutical products to 8,000 cubic metres.

Ms Ahmad explained that more than 975 stock-keeping units (SKUs) had been procured and distributed to health facilities, while 290 PHCs had received state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic equipment.

She said Mr Sani launched a free distribution of essential medicines for underserved communities, adding that his administration was also building a 300-bed specialist hospital.

Ms Ahmad confirmed that civil works for the hospital were now completed, with 85 per cent of the equipment installed.

She said under the governor’s leadership, the state saw a 21.3 per cent increase in health insurance enrollment, rising from 527,303 in 2023 to 639,432 in 2024.

“Furthermore, 70,000 vulnerable individuals have been enrolled in the Social Health Insurance Scheme, with an additional N52,000,000 allocated for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to extend health coverage to another 4,333 vulnerable persons.

“Kaduna State has consistently met the Abuja Declaration’s benchmark, allocating at least 15 per cent of its annual budget to the health sector,” the commissioner said. She added that the governor also approved the recruitment of 1,800 health workers.

(NAN)