The Jigawa government inaugurated a N2.9 billion project to upgrade 30 healthcare centres in the state on Tuesday.

Governor Umar Namadi said this during the inauguration of the Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) revitalisation project at Sakwaya community in Dutse Local Government Area of the state.

He said the PHCs would be upgraded across the 30 constituencies in the state, adding that the gesture would enhance its operation by creating an enabling environment to provide 24-hour services to the people.

“We are also constructing staff quarters to provide befitting accommodation for all the frontline health workforce in the facilities.

“The aim is to strengthen the facilities by creating the necessary enabling environment to enable them to provide 24-hour services closer to the people, no matter how remote the location is,” he said.

The governor said the revitalisation projects are expected to be completed within two years, adding that the government would collaborate with development partners to facilitate the rehabilitation of the facilities across the 287 wards in the state.

He said the state government had recruited 900 primary healthcare workers and 200 secondary healthcare clinical staff. He added that plans were underway to engage 1,000 ad hoc health workers to enhance effective service delivery.

“No matter how good a health facility looks, optimum services cannot be provided without the health workers providing the services,” Mr Namadi.

The governor said he appointed several special assistants, advisers and monitors for effective monitoring and assessment to track investments in all the communities.

He said the measure would ensure that service delivery remained consistent with the yearnings and aspirations of the people.

The Commissioner for Health, Mohammed Kainuwa, said the state government had reviewed the law establishing the Primary Healthcare Development Agency to address equity issues in the distribution of PHC staff at the council level.

Mr Kainuwa said the state government also provided N1.5 billion in equity funding for the 143,500 most vulnerable to address the issue of equity in accessing primary healthcare services.

“The beneficiaries are not enjoying any social protection programme through its social insurance,” he added.

Mr Kainuwa said the state government had concluded arrangements for the establishment of a new general hospital in Ringim and Kafinhausa.

He said the government also upgraded the College of Health Science, Jahun, the Psychiatric Hospital, Kazaure and set up a new Diagnostic/Cardiac Centre, Dutse.

Also speaking, the UNICEF Country Representative, Christin Munduate, commended Mr Namadi for his commitment to curb malnutrition and address health challenges in the state.

(NAN)