Senator representing Kebbi South Senatorial District, Garba Maidoki has called for the establishment of a Federal Medical Centre to be situated in Zuru to cater for the health needs of the District and its environs.

The lawmaker in the 10th National Assembly made the call during a public hearing on the Bill to establish Federal Medical Centre in Zuru organized by the Senate Committee on Health.

In a memorandum presented at the hearing by the lawmaker, he explained that the aim is to provide tertiary healthcare facilities to the people of Zuru in Kebbi State in the North West Nigeria.

He further noted that the establishment of FMCs across the country was initiated by Decree No. 10 of 1985, with the aim of providing tertiary healthcare services.

According to him, the FMC Birnin Kebbi was established on June 6, 2000, and has since been upgraded to a University Teaching Hospital.

The lawmaker stated that the large population and the challenges faced in accessing healthcare services, necessitates the establishment of FMC in the state.

“In Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, the distance between Zuru Emirate and Birnin Kebbi is approximately 240 km, making it difficult for patients, especially children and pregnant women, to access secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities”, he lamented.

Senator Maidoki charged his colleagues and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to support the bill, saying healthcare is a fundamental privilege expected from any government.

The lawmaker who is the sponsor of the bill told journalists during a chat that the Federal Medical Center, when established will not only cater for the tertiary healthcare needs of Kebbi State, but will also serve the adjoining states like Niger and Zamfara.

The Kogi State is set to receive enhanced funding of 500 million dollars from the World Bank to improve access to high quality basic education and Primary Healthcare Services in the state.

The Commissioner for Finance, Budget, and Economic Planning, Honourable Asiwaju Idris disclosed this at a Citizens’ Sensitization Programme held at the Government House in Lokoja on Thursday.

He noted that the World Bank assisted Programme under the HOPE-GOV initiative will avail the state of over 500 million dollars in enhanced funding to strengthen basic education and Primary healthcare services in the state.

He added that Education and Healthcare are the pillars upon which a productive, innovative and resilient society is built upon, stressing that improved funding for education and healthcare which are two indices of human capital development is critical for accelerating progress and inclusive growth in the state.

The State Accountant General and World Bank Fiscal Focal Person, Dr. Habibat Tijani, emphasized that the HOPE-GOV initiative will support the efforts of the state government to enhance fiscal transparency, improve budget credibility, and ensure accountability in the use of funds for policies and programmes of the state government.

She noted that the initiative will increase the availability and effectiveness of financing for education and healthcare, improve recruitment and performance of teachers and healthcare workers in the state.

The Commissioner for Education, Honorable Wemi Jones lauded the initiative and commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s efforts in repositioning the education sector in the state adding that over ₦1.2 billion has been allocated for external examination fees of pupils and students in primary and secondary schools by the present administration.

Similarly, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams noted that the Hope-Gov initiative is set to revolutionize healthcare service delivery and promote access to essential healthcare services in the state.

The Kogi State Government is to spend over ₦4 billion(Four Billion Naira) on malaria prevention across its healthcare system in the state.

Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo made this known at the launch of a malaria prevention campaign to combat the prevalence of the disease with the distribution of free drugs and test-kits across healthcare facilities in the state.

Speaking at the Government House in Lokoja on Tuesday, Governor Ododo announced that the distribution of anti-malaria drugs, rapid diagnostic test kits, and over 3 million insecticide-treated nets to healthcare facilities is in line with the commitment of his administration to promote healthy living and the wellbeing of the people of the state.

He emphasized that malaria affects everyone and called for collective efforts to eradicate the disease, which he noted continues to claim the lives of thousands of people in Nigeria.

Governor Ododo also highlighted alarming statistics from the 2024 World Malaria Report, which revealed that “Africa accounted for 94% of global malaria cases in 2023, with Nigeria contributing 30% of the 5,970 deaths recorded.

He further noted Kogi State’s malaria prevalence of 16% exceeds the national target of less than 10%, necessitating urgent intervention by all stakeholders.

The governor stressed the importance of ensuring that these supplies get to communities and people for which they are meant to improve health outcomes, noting that the items are not for sale and anyone found guilty of diverting them will be held accountable.

According to the Governor, the intervention, supported by the Islamic Development Bank, includes over 10,000 cartons of anti-malaria drugs and test kits containing more than 1 million doses for children and nearly 2 million doses for adults, adding that the supplies will be distributed to 536 government health facilities across the state, including primary healthcare centers, general hospitals, and teaching hospitals.

Governor Ododo commended healthcare workers in the state for their efforts in improving healthcare outcomes in rural areas, describing them as soldiers battling diseases on the frontlines.

He urged traditional rulers, NGOs, religious leaders, and other stakeholders to join hands with the government in ensuring the success of the initiative.

The Governor further reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening the health sector as a critical pillar of the development agenda of the Kogi state government under his leadership.

He expressed confidence that the initiative, alongside federal government healthcare reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would significantly reduce malaria prevalence and improve the quality of lives of the people of Kogi State.

Earlier, the commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams emphasized the importance of the malaria prevention programme which he said is to ensure that every household has access to malaria test kits, drugs, insecticide-treated nets, and other preventive measures.

He noted that the intervention is free and focuses on community engagement, describing it as a comprehensive strategy to combat malaria effectively across Kogi State.