BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto –
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire on Sunday commissioned several projects at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto (UDUTH), describing it as one of the fastest growing teaching hospital in Nigeria.
“Each time I am here, I feel a lot of contentment at the progress been made. UDUTH is one of the fastest growing teaching hospitals in Nigeria.
“I have no doubt, the project you see here today has increased the capacity to deliver high quality services”.
The minister, who decried that lack of confidence in the country’s health system was the reason for medical tourism, added that in other halt the trend, the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration has continue to invest heavily in the health sector.
While stressing that the g.overnment will continue to provide the tools needed to deliver quality health care services to all Nigerians, Dr Osagie assured that, part of the intervention fund of the Federal Government is to make sure that every hospital has state of the art facilities.
The Minister, who appreciated Nigerians for their collective cooperation towards mitigating the effect of COVID 19, however appealed for observance of laid down protocols as the pandemic is not over yet.
According to him, the target for Nigeria is to have 70 percent of its citizenry vaccinated against COVID 19 before the Federal Government can authorize the removal of face masks.
“Only 25 percent of the total population are vaccinated with single dose. And 26 percent vaccinated with double dose. That isn’t enough as our target is 70 percent and we are still very far from there which is why we are yet to authorise the removal of mask
“We were able to control the pandemic with the support of every citizen. Let us have the ambition to collectively carry our health system to be amongst the best in the world”
On the recent Monkeypox outbreak, the health minister assured that the Federal Government is monitoring the situation.
He also assured that the health ministry is doing the needful to reduce industrial disharmony being one of the factors militating against the health sector delivery in this country.
Earlier the Chief Medical Director of UDUTH, Prof Anas Ahmad Sabir listed the projects to be commissioned to include the nuclear medicine department, brachytherapy centre, cardiothoracic centre, upgraded intensive care unit , multipurpose centre , female students hostel, molecular laboratory, renovated trauma centre, renovated accident and emergency department as well as hospital road networks .
Others are the female medical ward, incinerator , solar power street lights , renovated medical library, laser treatment equipment , fundus camera, cold centrifuge , C-Arm, Olympus endoscopy machine, neurosurgery equipment and digital X-ray machine among others.
On his part, Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, who was represented by the Commissioner of Health, Dr Muhammad Ali Inname commended UDUTH as the only institution in the State that is responsible for the training of medical personnel.
“Looking at that scenario, our administration came up with many initiatives geared towards improving the health services which made the Tambuwal’s administration to build 1250 bed capacity teaching hospital in the State University to help in training more medical personnel”.
In his vote of thanks, Alhaji Umar Abubakar Kigo, the Chairman Project Committee of UDUTH thank God Almighty for making the commissioning a reality.
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