The Federal Government has flagged off the distribution of medical equipment, ambulances, drugs and consumables worth N10 billion to strengthen healthcare delivery across Bauchi.
The distribution exercise, held on Saturday at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) in Bauchi, was inaugurated by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, alongside representatives of the Bauchi State Government.
Speaking at the event, Pate said the intervention forms part of the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to improve primary healthcare services nationwide under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
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He explained that similar interventions had been carried out in 35 states, with investments focused on healthcare infrastructure, medical equipment, essential commodities, workforce development and emergency medical services.
According to the minister, more than 45 million Nigerians now access healthcare services every quarter through government-supported programmes.
Pate noted that Bauchi State has particularly benefited from several federal health interventions, including the upgrade of healthcare facilities, establishment of new federal medical institutions, and investments in primary healthcare.
He listed projects executed in the state to include the upgrade of the Federal Teaching Hospital in Azare, the construction of the National North-East Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) Centre in Ningi, the establishment of a Federal Medical Centre, and the ongoing expansion of ATBUTH, including a modern radiology diagnostic centre.
He added that over 100 primary healthcare centres in the state have either been revitalised or upgraded through collaboration between the Federal Government and the Bauchi State Government.
The minister also disclosed that thousands of frontline health workers had received specialised training, while more than 3,000 young people from Bauchi had been recruited into federal health institutions across the country.
Highlighting the items being distributed, Pate said 20 primary healthcare centres would receive medical equipment, while another 20 facilities would receive essential drugs and consumables across the state’s 15 local government areas.
The equipment includes labour and delivery kits, suction machines, oxygen equipment, blood pressure monitors, theatre equipment for surgical procedures, neonatal intensive care equipment, and laboratory facilities for maternal healthcare.
The intervention also includes 15 rural ambulances, six conventional ambulances, and 17,000 maternity kits for pregnant women to support safe childbirth and reduce out-of-pocket expenses.
Pate said the combined value of the equipment, drugs, ambulances, and other interventions is estimated at N10 billion.
He warned against the diversion or misuse of the equipment and consumables, stressing that anti-corruption agencies had records of all items distributed and would prosecute anyone found culpable.
The minister urged stakeholders to embrace what he described as “politics of development,” calling for greater collaboration to improve the welfare of citizens.
In his remarks, Bauchi State Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, represented by Deputy Governor Rt. Hon. Muhammad Awwal Jatau commended the Federal Government for the intervention.
The governor said his administration had prioritised healthcare by rehabilitating and upgrading general hospitals and primary healthcare centres across the state, recruiting additional health workers, particularly for rural communities, and investing in nutrition programmes to combat severe acute malnutrition among children and pregnant women.
He pledged continued collaboration with the Federal Government and development partners to strengthen healthcare service delivery.
Earlier, the Emir of Dass and State Co-Chairman of the Primary Healthcare Task Force, Alhaji Usman Bilyaminu Othman, described the intervention as timely, noting that it would improve access to quality healthcare for vulnerable rural populations.
Receiving the equipment on behalf of beneficiary institutions, the Chief Medical Director of ATBUTH, Prof. Bara Yusuf Jibrin, assured that the medical supplies would be distributed to all designated facilities and utilised responsibly.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare for prioritising healthcare reforms through strategic investments, adding that the intervention reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding access to quality healthcare nationwide.
Jibrin also congratulated the first cohort of National Health Fellows, describing them as a new generation of professionals who would strengthen Nigeria’s health system and advance the country’s pursuit of universal health coverage.
He reaffirmed the commitment of federal health institutions to ensuring the proper maintenance and efficient utilisation of the equipment while supporting initiatives aimed at improving healthcare delivery, research and health system resilience.
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