Gombe: Jennifer Etuh Modern Medical Centre Inaugurated in Tula

 Segun Awofadeji in Gombe

Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has stated that one of the policy thrusts of his administration is hinged on the delivery of quality and affordable healthcare.

 The governor also restated his administration’s commitment to partner organisations and institutions in its quest to deliver quality,  affordable healthcare to the citizenry.

He noted that the inauguration of a state-of-the-art medical facility and modern diagnostic centre in Tula, Kaltungo Local Government Area of the state is a significant step towards achieving that goal.

Yahaya stated these during a ceremony preceding the official unveiling of the health facility in Tula Wange yesterday.

The governor noted that the construction and equipping of the health facility by the Jennifer Etuh Foundation is one of the numerous humanitarian activities undertaken by the organisation in loving memory of the life and time of the late Mrs. Jennifer Ramatu Etuh, the wife of Kogi State- born philanthropist and entrepreneur, Chief Thomas Etuh.

Yahaya observed that aside from its intervention in health, the Jennifer Etuh Foundation equally supports agricultural activities to boost food sufficiency and security in the state.

According to him, “The inauguration of the medical centre in Tula is expected to provide a boost to the healthcare sector in Gombe State and serve as a model for other healthcare facilities.

“It’s inauguration is a significant contribution to our commitment to the overall development of the state, anchored on the delivery of quality and affordable healthcare, as well as revamping of agriculture, repositioning education and ensuring human capital development among others.”

The present administration had established the Gombe State Contributory Health Scheme GoHealth and remodeled the state specialist hospital as well as provided functional primary health in each of the 114 political wards of the state among other far-reaching interventions in the health sector.

Already, as directed by the governor, GoHealth has begun the enrolment of some residents of the area with over 1,400 persons already captured.  The governor also donated a well-equipped ambulance to the medical centre.

While promising to construct a road to link to the health facility, he used the occasion to call on the leaders and members of Tula community to fully assume ownership of the health centre by ensuring its adequate maintenance.

Earlier, the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of Jennifer Etuh Foundation, Chief Thomas Etuh, said the modern hospital complex and state-of-the-art diagnostic centre at Tula is the fourth of six hospital complexes being built in honour of his late wife’s memory across the country.

He added that the inauguration ceremony coincided with her 49th posthumous birthday event, disclosing that while on her sick bed, his late wife instructed them to channel her wealth to noble causes.

On his part, the Mai Tula, Dr. Abubakar Atare Babu, described the establishment of the Jennifer Etuh Medical Centre as a dream come true for the people of his domain as the facility is said to be one of its kind in the North-east region.

The royal father explained that the people of Tula remain indebted to the Jennifer Etuh Foundation, hence the decision of his chiefdom to honour Chief Thomas with the prestigious and important traditional title of Dan Amanan Tula.

Atare II equally paid special tribute to the Late Jennifer Ramatu Etuh for her ‘will’ which has continued to put smiles on the faces of so many less privileged persons in the society.   

Also, former Minister of Women Affairs,  Dame Pauline Tallen, said it gladdened her heart to see both Christians and Muslims come together in unison to celebrate a noble cause.

She expressed gratitude to the Jennifer Etuh Foundation for building a magnificent health centre to cater for the health needs of the people.

The foundation had earlier reached out to about 1,500 widows in Tula with wrappers, toiletries and cash gifts of N10,000 each meant to bring succour to widows in the community as part of the Foundation’s one-week community outreach in the state.