In a significant stride toward bolstering healthcare services, the Katsina State Government has completed the renovation and upgrade of 168 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) across its 34 Local Government Areas.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to provide round-the-clock critical healthcare services to residents.
The comprehensive upgrades encompass infrastructure improvements, provision of essential medical equipment, construction of staff quarters, installation of perimeter fencing, and the establishment of reliable water supply and solar lighting systems in all facilities.
In addition to infrastructural enhancements, the state has invested in human resources by training over 5,000 healthcare workers in integrated PHC services while 150 midwives have been recruited and deployed to various healthcare facilities to enhance skilled birth attendance and reduce maternal and infant mortality rates.
Dr. Shamsuddin Yahaya, the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Agency, disclosed this on Monday in an exclusive interview with Channels Television Crew at his office in the State Capital.
He highlighted the government’s commitment to disease prevention and outbreak response noting that in the 2024 budget, ₦125 million was allocated for procuring and distributing essential drugs to comprehensive health centres, aiming to combat diseases such as diphtheria and cholera.
This allocation, he said, marks a significant increase from the ₦50 million designated for similar purposes in 2023.
To address nutritional challenges, Yahaya disclosed that the state allocated ₦300 million in 2024 as matching funds to UNICEF for the procurement of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and other vital nutritional supplements.
“An additional ₦200 million was earmarked for nutrition commodities to tackle acute malnutrition among children”, he said.
The Executive Secretary further stated that innovative measures have also been introduced to enhance service delivery, including the implementation of biometric data capture systems to monitor healthcare worker attendance and the engagement of senior local doctors and consultants to mentor primary healthcare staff.
