The Niger State Government on Thursday declared a state of emergency on the health sector in order to ensure effective health care delivery to the people of the state.
Dr Mustapha Jibrin, Commissioner for Health and Hospital Services, who disclosed this on Thursday in Minna, said that it was part of decisions taken at the weekly State Executive Council meeting.
Jibrin said that the council approved N2 billion for the renovation of Minna, Suleja and Kontagora General Hospitals as part of efforts aimed at restructuring the dilapidated health facilities in the state.
He said that though the administration inherited a challenging health sector, it would remedy them for the benefit of the people.
The commissioner explained that the Minna General Hospital was last renovated in 1972.
He said that the council also approved 100 per cent payment of health workers’ entitlements and salaries owed since 2011 for effective health service delivery and to encourage more productivity among health workers.
“Paying health workers their entitlement and renovating existing primary and secondary health care structures to reach international standard will definitely improve service delivery,” he said.
Jibrin added that 40 medical doctors, 10 specialists and 70 nurses were recently employed and additional medical personnel would be employed to fill the personnel gap in the sector.
Similarly, Alhaji Musa Mamman, State Commissioner for Sport and Youth Development, said that the council also approved the construction of a new sport centre in Minna along Bahago Secondary School to boost sporting activities in the state.
He said that N420 billion would be used for construction and purchase of modern sport facilities for Hockey, Table Tennis and Basketball.
Mamman said that Gov. Sani Bello of Niger directed the Ministry of Sport and Education to come up with incentives to revive school game competitions to discover young talents.
He added that 100 youths would be trained on farming as part of the state government’s effort in diversifying the state’s economy. (NAN)