Minister exposes state of healthcare in Zamfara; 23 doctors in 24 hospitals!

The awful state of State-owned hospitals in Zamfara, northern Nigeria has been exposed by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole. He said that the state’s 24 hospitals have just 23 doctors managing them.

Adewole made this disclosure in Abuja during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Sokoto State government and the Federal Government-owned Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, on Strategic Partnership for the Enhancement of Health Care Delivery in Sokoto State.

The Health Minister, also at the occasion said that states abound across the nation that do not have enough doctors but parade many federal medical personnel who were not being used.

“What we are trying to do is bridge the gap between federal and state governments. There should be no wall. This feat we are achieving today is the first of its kind in this country.

“It is not only peculiar to Sokoto State. I was in Zamfara. At the Federal Medical Centre in Zamfara, there are about 120 doctors but the state has less than 40 in the entire state, in fact they were 23 or so as at the last count to manage 24 hospitals.

“So, it is a matter of one doctor per hospital. And, yet, the federal hospital has about 120. To me, that is inequality, inequity and must not persist in our country. This is because those who are not benefitting are also Nigerians. It is our duty to address these things and also ensure we offer our people good care,” he said.

According to him, what the agreement with Sokoto government “will do is to transfer quality services from the teaching hospital to the communities.”

The minister therefore called on Tambuwal to encourage other state governors to enter into similar agreements with the Federal Government..

Gsent Talks......Taking You Further