President Muhammadu Buhari has given an assurance that that his administration is committed to improved healthcare delivery services nationwide.
President Buhari gave the assurance on Thursday at the virtual inauguration of capital projects executed at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) in response to a specific request by the Board and Management of the hospital.
Landmark projects commissioned by the President included a newly constructed and fully equipped 150-bed Trauma Centre, a new General Outpatient Department, a complex for National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), a multipurpose Auditorium and Conference Centre constructed and furnished by Prof. Babagana Zulum, the Governor of Borno State.
Also commissioned was a new hostel for the UMTH School of Nursing, constructed by the Federal government.
Speaking during the commissioning, the President directed the Head of Service of the Federation and the Budget Office to consider an increase in the personnel and overhead allocation of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
Buhari said the increase in personnel and allocation at UMTH would optimise services provided by the activation of the new projects.
The President said the value of the projects at the UMTH, which is a Centre of Excellence in Infectious diseases and Immunology in Nigeria, to the nation’s health care system cannot be underestimated, especially in the era of global health system challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He added that the completion of the capital projects aptly reflects the Federal government’s commitment to sustaining development in the North East, and indeed in all parts of the country to engender economic growth, peace and progress.
”Emerging diseases have made it necessary for all nations to increase and improve resource application for coping with the challenges or adapting to the ‘new normal’.
”This goes on in Borno State side by side with efforts to tackle insurgency and criminal activities,” he said.
The President, while speaking on the 150-bed Trauma centre which comes with a helipad, voiced delight that it would provide modern multidisciplinary care facilities to injured persons from within and outside Maiduguri, in addition to reducing the need for referral to other centres.
Buhari, who implored citizens to take advantage of the improved facility,h appealed to operators of these excellent facilities to imbibe the maintenance culture and ensure optimum utilization.
President Buhari also lauded the collaborative programmes of the teaching hospital with indigenous, international, non-governmental bilateral and multilateral donors and partners, like the Physical Rehabilitation Centre, which is a product of the engagement with the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC.
”This Centre is now fully operational in this era of reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement in Borno State.
”At this centre, complete physical rehabilitation that include physiotherapy and fitting of limb prosthesis can be undertaken locally, to end the need for outside referral.
”I express Nigeria’s deep appreciation to ICRC and other partners engaged in collaboration assistance,” he said.
In his remarks, Governor Zulum thanked the federal government for supporting the State in overcoming its health challenges by constructing some of the projects.
The Governor announced that the State would soon embark on the construction of a teaching hospital for its State University.
There were goodwill messages form the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, as well as the World Health Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
