Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa on Wednesday flagged off the distribution of equipments worth over N300 million to hospitals and Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the state.
Sule, while flagging off the exercise at the Central Medical store in Lafia, expressed delight with the procurement of the equipments through the Saving One Million Lives (SOML) programme in the state.
He assured that the equipments would be equitably distributed across the three senatorial zones of the state.
“It is imperative to note that the Saving One Million Lives programme was initiated by the Federal Government to expand access to essential primary healthcare services for women and children.
This initiative is evidence-based and cost effective interventions that are proven with the intent to address the leading causes of morbidity and mortality rate in the country.
“Considering its effectiveness, the Nasarawa State Government has domesticated the programme in order to provide essential healthcare services to the citizens of the state,”he said.
He explained that his administration evolved measures to protect lives of citizens of the state by releasing funds for the procurement of the equipment through the SOML programme and to be distributed, not only to the General Hospitals, but also to the Primary Healthcare Centres across the state.
“This deliberate effort is conceived to give a new lease of life to our people, particularly at the grassroots.
“Similarly, the effort is geared towards ensuring that people feel the impact of the dividends of democracy as well as the successes of the Saving One Million Lives programme in the State,”he said.
Sule added that since the domestication
of the programme, the state government had made significant strides which facilitated the renovation of 67 Primary healthcare centres and 11 general hospitals across the state.
“In the same vein, we have upgraded two Service Delivery Points in Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia, as well as the Central Medical Store, Lafia.
“This has become imperative considering the global health challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic currently ravaging the world,” Sule said.
The governor charged the beneficiaries to take care and make judicious of the equipments for the wellbeing of the people of the state.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to revamp the health sector in the state through collaboration with development partners.
“At this juncture, let me commend the Nasarawa State Saving One Million Lives Programme and other stakeholders in the health sector for their immense contributions and sacrifice in our collective determination to provide effective and efficient healthcare service delivery,” he said.
Speaking earlier, Mr Ahmed Yahaya, Commissioner of Health, listed the equipment to include hospital beds, patient trolleys, delivery beds, ward screens, thermometers, fetoscopes and stethoscopes.
Others are Blood Pressure Apparatus, sterile scissors, Ambu-bags, cord clamps, face masks, weighing scales, mucous extractors and 4D scanners.
Yahaya lauded the governor for prioritising the health sector and assured him of better service delivery to residents with the distribution of the new equipment across hospitals and PHCs in the state.