In a strong move to improve public health and fight typhoid fever, the Katsina State government has launched a new program to give free medical care to all residents diagnosed with the illness.
The program includes full treatment for people with typhoid and free surgery for those who develop serious complications like typhoid perforation.
To make the service easy to access, the government has chosen five hospitals across the state to provide the treatment. These include: General Hospital Katsina, Turai Yar’Adua Hospital Katsina, General Amadi Rimi Special Hospital Katsina, General Hospital Jibia, and General Hospital Funtua.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Bala Salisu Zango, said the goal is to reduce the cost of treatment for patients and ensure they get quick and proper care without having to pay for it. The aim is also to help stop the spread of typhoid in the state.
He explained that typhoid fever is still a big health problem in many areas of Nigeria, including Katsina, mostly due to poor sanitation, unsafe drinking water—especially during the rainy season—and bad hygiene.
Zango said the government understands these problems and is ready to help by offering free tests, medicine, and follow-up care in the selected hospitals.
“Our main goal is to protect the health of our people. By treating typhoid for free, we hope people will come for help early, avoid serious health problems, and lower the number of typhoid cases,” he said.
He advised anyone showing signs of typhoid—such as long-lasting fever, stomach pain, headache, and feeling weak—to go to the nearest selected hospital.
The Katsina government also urged the public to take steps to prevent typhoid, like washing hands regularly, drinking clean water, and keeping their surroundings clean.
The statement added that this program is part of the state government’s larger effort to improve healthcare and raise awareness about public health across Katsina.
