By Sidi A. Umar
Sokoto
Sokoto government will establish a new medical school, an infectious diseases hospital and a state-of-the-art renal and cardiac centre, overnor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has revealed.
Speaking at the opening of the 58th meeting of National Council on Health in Sokoto yesterday, Tambuwal said the new health centres would provide training and research, and will complement existing health facilities across the state.
He said his administration had introduced other policies that have imparted positively in the health sector of the state.
One of such, according to him, is the introduction of the community midwifery scheme to train more midwifes and traditional birth attendants who will serve at community levels in all parts of the state.
“This programme will, in due course, be expanded to essentially achieve sustainable reduction in maternal, infant and child morbidity and mortality in Sokoto state,” the governor added.
He said the state government has intensified health surveillance and other prevention mechanisms which have resulted in Sokoto being certified as polio, Ebola and Lassa fever free.
He said the state government had also entered into partnership with the Usmanu Danfodio University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) for specialised training for improved quality of care and universal healthcare.
“The areas include manpower training, health services delivery, rural outreach programme, road traffic accident and emergency response care and primary healthcare coverage,” the governor added.
In his remarks, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Balarabe Shehu Kakale, said due to the commitment of the present administration and its partners, the number of children immunised against polio and other childhood killer diseases, had increased significantly.
