Healthcare: Bauchi Commends UNICEF, Others
Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
Bauchi State Government has commended the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners for their support to improve healthcare delivery services in the state.
The commendation was made by the state Governor, Bala Mohammed, while receiving the multibillion naira Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) Medical Oxygen Plant and Level 2 Newborn Unit constructed and donated by UNICEF in collaboration with IHS Canada at the General Hospital, Azare.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Auwal Jatau, Mohammed, at the occasion, told UNICEF that: “Your commitment to improving the health of the people of Bauchi State is highly recommendable which would not go unnoticed.”
He prayed that the facility will assist in reinforcing his government’s objective of providing accessible healthcare to all, saying that the Medical Oxygen Plant will ensure that patients who require oxygen therapy can receive it in a 205 timely and efficient manner, thus improving patient outcomes and alleviating the burdens on our dedicated healthcare professionals
The governor requested for UNICEF’s additional support to provide solar energy facilities to General Hospital Azare and the Medical Oxygen Plant, saying that it will go a long way in addressing the challenges of erratic power supply and ensuring the sustainability of the Medical Oxygen Plant.
He also urged UNICEF to establish a befitting Special Baby Care Unit at Specialist Hospital, Bauchi, adding that it will be linked to an already established Medical Oxygen Plant constructed by the state government in that hospital.
He commended UNICEF for supporting the state in having climate resilient PHCs in Bauchi by providing solar energy facilities for 20 PHCs.
Mohammed appealed to the operators of the Oxygen Plant to ensure that facilities operate optimally.
He said: “The inauguration of this Medical Oxygen Plant signifies our determination to reduce morbidity and mortality rates associated with such conditions.”
He stressed that: ‘With this facility, we are not only expanding the capacity of General Hospital Azare as a secondary healthcare facility, but also positively transforming the healthcare landscape of Bauchi State and our neighbouring states.”
The governor added that: “Healthcare is a fundamental right, and it is our duty as a government to ensure that our citizens have access to quality medical services. We understand the myriad of challenges facing our Health Sector, which include limited medical human resource, inadequate infrastructure and equipment.
“Consequently, we have prioritised healthcare in our development agenda. The launch of this Medical Oxygen Plant is a testament to our commitment.”
Also, the Director, Business Analysis IHS Nigeria, Sadisu Barau Jibrin, has in a goodwill message noted that the facility represents not just a milestone in their partnership with UNICEF and the healthcare community, but a tangible step toward transforming healthcare delivery in Northern Nigeria region and beyond.
Jibrin said that the facility symbolised hope, resilience, and a shared commitment to improving the quality of life for the people of Azare, the surrounding communities and the state in general, describing accessibility to medical oxygen as an absolute necessity, particularly for the vulnerable demography of society such as children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions.
In a welcome address, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Muhammad Sani Dambam, disclosed that over N1 billion was spent to construct and equip the Oxygen Plant.
Dambam also said that before the coming of the facility, residents depended on neighbouring Kano State for oxygen .
He said that during COVID 19, it became glaring that the state’s oxygen capacity was low hence the establishment of Oxygen Plants at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) and the Specialist Hospital, Bauchí respectively.
