Katsina State establishes 30 health centres in 3 years

Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State

By Philip Yatai

Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State said on Thursday that his administration has established 30 Comprehensive Health Centres across the state in the last three years to increase access to healthcare services.

Masari stated this at the maiden Convocation and Launching of Endowment Fund of Muslim Community College of Health Sciences and Technology, Funtua.

He also said that the state government had in the last two years employed over 1000 health workers and support staff to improve service delivery in General Hospitals across the state.

He said that to bring healthcare services to remote areas of the state, the government would renovate, equip and employ health officers to ensure one functional Primary Health Centre per ward.

The governor commended the Muslim community in Funtua for establishing a health institution for the training of para-medical personnel that would support the health sector in the state.

He noted that the state has suffered shortage of supporting personnel as a result of limited training institutions.

“Katsina School of Nursing established 60 years ago was admitting only 50 students annually until two years ago when the school was rehabilitated and its carrying capacity increased to 100.

“Similarly, the School of Midwifery, Malumfashi, was also rehabilitated and its carrying capacity also increased from 30 to 75.

“In our desire to address human resource gaps in the health sector, we have gone far in finalising arrangement for the establishment of a Teaching Hospital for Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina.

“Your institution, is therefore, a welcome development to both the community and the government in terms of increasing access to quality health training institutions,” he said.

Masari challenge community leaders to emulate Funtua Muslim community.

Also speaking the Provost of the college, Umar Imam, explained that the college was founded in 1999, by a group of young people from Funtua and Malumfashi under the auspices of Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria.

Imam said that the college, which began with a population of 20 students in 1999, currently has a student population of 1,200 and had so far graduated about 3,000 students from 1999 to date.

He disclosed that the college Board of Trustees have decided to establish school of Nursing and Midwifery in Funtua to address the dearth of skilled manpower in the health sector in the state.

“The project, which is expected to be financed through communal contribution, is estimated to cost N370 million.

“Alhaji Aminu Dantata had graciously donated N20 million and we wish to appeal to everyone here and those that are absent to contribute to the realisation of this laudable project,” he said.

Some of the personalities honoured at the event include Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abdulmumin Usman, Emir of Katsina and Alhaji Umar Umar, Emir of Daura.

Others were former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, late Alhaji Bala Funtua and late Alhaji Mu’azu Funtua.