Healthcare is my priority - Ganduje
Kano State governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has stressed his administration’s commitment to the healthcare and wellbeing of people of the state, particularly women and children. Gov. Ganduje, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman Usman Alhaji, said this during the opening ceremony of the Association.
“In Kano, we have free maternal and child healthcare in all the hospitals. We also have a policy which was enacted into law in which five per cent of health trust fund has been earmarked for child health,” the governor said.
He said there was also free accident and emergency care in the state, adding that his administration is of the view that health issues were all-inclusive as the health of the child depends on the health of the parents.
The governor said his administration was committed to the healthcare sector and had achieved a lot in the area, which is why a huge amount of money has been committed to developing infrastructure and other health facilities.
The governor added that in the 2020 budget, his administration allocated over 15 per cent to the health sector which is a little over the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended percentage.
“You may wish to know that the state has completed two mega hospitals that we inherited from the previous administrations at a very low percentage of construction, 15 per cent to be exact, and today these two hospitals are world class,” he said.
He added that his administration also awarded contract for the construction of 400-bed hospitals in each of the four newly created emirates, promising that the hospitals would be well equipped such that they will be able to cater for the health needs of the people of the emirates.
He said a cancer treatment centre project has commenced; ‘‘the foundation stone of which was recently laid by the Vice President Osinbajo, and if completed, it will be the best in West Africa’’.
Ganduje commended the organizers for holding the conference in Kano and expressed hope that the meeting would benefit the entire people of Nigeria and humanity at large.