……………..Health Minister Assures States On Serious Reforms And Commitment.
……………..Appreciate Gombe In Putting Health As A Priority.
FIC Report (Gombe State) – The Federal Government of Nigeria and States Governments have expressed commitments to mobilizing domestic resources to enhance health care delivery in all parts of the country.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Professor Mohammed Ali Pate gave the good tidings when he paid a courtesy call on the Governor of Gombe State at the Government House saying that coming to Gombe is a home coming.
The Minister said the recent announcement of withdrawal of support to African continent by the U S government will not deter Nigeria in it’s efforts in improving the health sector.
The Minister said in spite of the withdrawal of support from the U S government as responsible Government Nigeria will keep the partnership with the US and other countries to enable Nigeria exit from dependency from external assistance and look inward to mobilizing domestic resources to stand on its own and grow it’s own system.
Mohammed Ali Pate emphasized that even though Nigeria may not have much resources as other countries have but it must learn to stand on it own for the betterment of its growing population.
The Minister of Health also appreciated the government of Gombe State for an impressive turn around especially the health sector as indices showed there was a significant improvement in the sector as captured by the Federal Ministry of Health in the last two years of 2023-2024.
He appeals to Gombe Governor and all the thirty six states of the federation keyed into renewed hope of the federal government policies in healthcare under the able leadership of president Bola Ahmad Tinubu.
He promise to support the state to win More awards as it’s in the track of overhauling health sector as meaningful developing has been recorded so far.
Responding, the Governor of Gombe State Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya said his administration has inherited a rotten health system in 2019 and because of the importance of the sector he immediately declared a state of emergency on the sector and roll out a marshal plan to reform the sector across the 11 LGAs of the State.
Governor Yahaya inform the minister that his administration has already provided a functional health facilities in each of the 114 political wards in the state apart from upgrading four secondary health facilities in the state to serve as referrals.
So the three senatorial district of Gombe has the modernized primary care facilities and Standard Secondary facilities to Compliment the primary healthcare in the state.
Three Senatorial district has a standard world class facility in Akko Bajoga and Kaltugo LGAs.
Governor Inuwa admitted that the major constraint now on health sector remains the shortage of manpower explaining that just recently the state Government has offered 46 indigenous medical graduates from the Gombe State University the chance to serve the state for efficiency.
In his remark the President Global Development Gates Foundation Mr Christopher Elias applauded the commitment and political will of Gombe State in all matters concerning health and appeal for the Governor as Chairman of Northern Governor’s to explore all the potentials in reviving the health sector.
This collaboration between Federal, State and Development Partners will significantly improve the healthcare delivery in Gombe State and make it affordable to all in a near future.
Signed
Mr Alama Sylvanus Kalbore
FIC Gombe Reporting
