By Segun Adewale, Gombe
The Federal Government has handed over reproductive health equipment and commodities to the Gombe State Government with the aim of enhancing healthcare delivery across Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the state.
Speaking at the handover ceremony over the weekend in Gombe, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, explained that the intervention was designed to complement the efforts of the Gombe State Government in strengthening primary healthcare delivery.
“You have done a lot to expand access to primary healthcare, but as part of the sector-wide approach, the Federal Government is also contributing its share to ensure that PHCs deliver quality care for women, children and vulnerable populations. These equipment and commodities are meant for primary healthcare centres across all the local government areas of Gombe State,” the Minister stated.
He further commended the state for its investments through the Primary Healthcare Development Agency and the contributory health scheme (Go-Health), noting that the Federal Government is committed to working in synergy with the state to achieve the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the health sector.
“This initiative is being implemented across the 36 states of the federation, but we are beginning with Gombe. Other states will follow, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the health sector”, he added.
Receiving the items on behalf the Gombe state government, Governor Inuwa Yahaya commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his administration’s continued support to the state’s healthcare sector, describing the intervention as timely and critical to the realization of his government’s health agenda.
The Governor noted that Gombe State had prioritized healthcare reforms, including the revitalization of PHCs, recruitment of health workers among others, emphasizing that the additional support from the Federal Government would further strengthen the system and complement state-level initiatives.
Earlier, the state Coordinator of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the agency through which the health items were provided, Mr Abba Ibrahim Musa, explained that the items are provided to strengthen maternal and child health services, improve access to reproductive healthcare, and ensure that frontline facilities are better equipped to meet the needs of the people.
He announced that items provided include delivery beds, portable ultrasound with foetal doppler, workstation for resuscitation of babies, hospital beds and mattresses, baby cots, suction machines, microscopes and other laboratory equipment and supplies, weighing scales, diagnostics sets, BP machines and other diagnostic tools and 25 sets of Solar Direct Drive for vaccine storage.
Other items include 60 essential medicines in bundled packs containing Analgesics; Anti-microbials; Anti-malaria; Cough and cold medicines; medicines to prevent bleeding after delivery, and for treating high blood pressure and family Planning commodities among others.
