Governor Lawal declares State of emergency in health sector, vows to revamp healthcare system

In a state-wide broadcast on Tuesday, the governor lamented the disturbing conditions of the hospitals across Zamfara. Lawal said the declaration followed his unscheduled visit to the Gusau General Hospital.

“On January, 28, I made an unscheduled visit to General Hospital in Gusau to assess its condition. I was shocked and worried by the unhealthy and poor environment that patients seeking medical attention were exposed to.

“It is not just the infrastructure decay but the working conditions of the healthcare service providers and their welfare is also of great concern.

“The disturbing condition of the healthcare facilities across the state is why this prompt action to declare a State of Emergency in the health sector.

“As a responsible government, we are taking urgent steps towards intervention,” he said.

The governor said that he was dedicated to addressing the challenges with the utmost urgency and attention they deserve.

“We will improve the quality of all general hospitals through massive infrastructural development, providing State-of-the-art medical equipment, and establishing standard laboratories for proper diagnosis.

“We will provide free Maternal and child healthcare to reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality.

“We will give special attention to Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in providing standard primary healthcare delivery to remote communities.

“We will develop a plan to enhance the well-being and welfare of all healthcare service providers in the state.

“My administration will establish an affordable and comprehensive health insurance scheme, providing access to quality healthcare services for all citizens of Zamfara State.

“We will distribute the necessary equipment and essential medicines to all hospitals across the 14 local government areas,” he stated.

The governor said the government would perform a mandatory physical verification of all hospital staff, including casual workers. He said the state health commissioner would establish a proper channel of external supervision of staff on duty.

“We will improve the ongoing Special Modified Medical Outreach, we will strengthen the emergency response and reposition the human resources for health structure.” the governor noted.