The Kebbi State government has distributed ultra-modern ambulances to hospitals to ease referral of patients to secondary and tertiary health facilities.

The Commissioner for Health, Yunusa Musa-Ismail, handed over keys of the vehicles to the Principal Medical Officers of

the General Hospital and Teaching Hospital, Kalgo, in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday.

The general hospitals that benefited from the gesture include the Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital in Birnin Kebbi, General Hospital, Argungu, Bunza General Hospital, Yauri General Hospital and Zuru General Hospital.

While handing over the keys, Mr Musa-Ismail directed the officers to manage the vehicles with care, in line with Governor Nasir Idris’s order.

He said, “Governor Idris is committed to improving the health sector, part of which involve easing the movement of patients to access healthcare, hence the purchase and distribution of the ambulances.

“The governor also approved the harmonisation of doctor’s salaries to be at par with what is obtained at the federal level to check brain drain. Doctors in the state have started enjoying the harmonised salary from August.”

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the state’s Ministry of Health, Shehu Koto, commended the governor for making healthcare services accessible and affordable for the people.

He said that the provision of the ambulances would go a long way to improving referral cases “because morbidity and mortality often occur due to delays in getting patients to health facilities for medical care.’’

He said, “We are grateful to the governor for the interventions, as he has also approved the recruitment of 500 health workers to be deployed to primary healthcare centres. We also thank the governor for approving the employment of more doctors and nurses for secondary and tertiary health institutions. The governor also upgraded the central medical store to global standard to provide a platform for the state’s drug revolving fund operation that will ensure the procurement and supply of quality drugs to all health facilities.”

On his part, the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Yakubu Ahmed-BK, reiterated the state government’s determination to improve healthcare services.

The acting Chief Medical Director of Kebbi Teaching Hospital, Kalgo, Abubakar Kaoje, who spoke on behalf of the benefiting hospitals, assured that the vehicles would be used for the purpose they were meant for.

(NAN)