FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO END MEDICAL TOURISM WITH BETTER HEALTH CARE SYSTEM FOR NIGERIANS

The Federal Government has restated its commitment to deliver cheap, affordable, and standard healthcare to Nigerians, by way of upgrading facilities at the various hospitals across the country.

The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Adeleke Mamora, said this during the commissioning of 5 projects at the Federal Medical Centre Katsina.

He said that the projects will boost healthcare delivery and end medical tourism to other parts of the world.

The projects commissioned at the Federal Medical Centre Katsina are the Accident and Emergency Complex, Emergency Paediatrics Unit, Molecule/Microbiology Laboratory Complex, Medical Intensive Care Unit and a Ring Road.

Mamora said that the Federal government will continue to take the healthcare of Nigerians seriously to bring about a healthy nation.

In his remarks, Governor Aminu Masari, said that, the event further demonstrates the commitment of his administration, towards making lives better for the people.

The Chairperson, Board of Governing Council of the hospital, Hanatu Akilu, noted that there is a reduction in morbidity and mortality rates by about 40% from 22 deaths per 1000 in 2017 to 13 per 1000 in 2021.

She added that, with the introduction of the Electronic Health Records, the waiting time for patients has also reduced drastically from 40 minutes before now to 15 minutes.

Akilu said further that with the commissioning of the projects, the Federal Medical Centre Katsina, will be well positioned to be one of the best tertiary health institutions in the Northwest zone and the country at large.

The Accident and Emergency Complex and the Emergency Paediatric Unit were financed with the 2020/2021 capital appropriations, while the Molecular/Microbiology Laboratory Complex and the Medical Intensive Care Unit, were both financed through the Covid-19 special intervention appropriation.

(Edited by Tunde Orebiyi)