2020 budget: Kaduna to spend N7bn on upgrade of 16 hospitals

The Kaduna State Ministry of Health will spend N7 billion on the upgrade and equipping of 16 hospitals across the state, according to the 2020 budget estimate.

Permanent Secretary in the ministry represented by the Director, Public Health, Dr Ado Zakari, made the disclosure when he appeared before the House Committee on Health to defend the ministry’s budget.

The ministry gave area of priority to include upgrading and equipping of hospitals and construction of accidents and emergency units in six hospitals.

He added that the government will also construct and equip the 300-bed specialist hospital project at the cost of N 2.7 billion.

The Permanent Secretary further explained that the ministry is to spend the sum of N300 million on malaria control programme (global fund) as well as N30 million on the neglected tropical disease control programme among others.

Professor Musa Tabari, Chief Medical Director of Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, who also appeared before the committee for the budget defence exercise said his hospital would focus on the accreditation of its departments as well as courses among others.

He said 15 departments need to be accredited and that each has two courses that need to be accredited.

He, therefore, requested additional allocation of N2 million to the initial N100 million presented by the governor to the House, making a total of N102 million to cover the cost of the expected accreditation.

Chairman of the committee, Dr. Isaac Auta Zakai, said the House is proud of the hospital and the ministry in general for its performance, especially in area of revenue generation.