TheCable

The federal government has handed over 100-bed capacity mother and child hospitals to Kebbi and Kogi states.

The two hospitals were facilitated by Atiku Bagudu, minister of budget and economic planning; and Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, senior special assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The state-of-the-art 100-bed hospital, located in Tsamiya, Kebbi, was inaugurated by Nasir Idris, governor of the state, on January 25.

In Kogi, the health facility is situated in Okene and was commissioned by Yahaya Bello, the state governor.

Each of the two facilities has an operating theatre, labour room, recovery rooms, intensive care unit (ICU), private and general wards, scanning room, consultation rooms, and laboratory, among others.

Some of the equipment installed in the facilities are an ultra-scan machine, a vacuum extractor delivery set, and an emergency cart with full complements.

Orelope-Adefulire, who spoke during the inauguration in Kebbi, pledged the president’s commitment to working closely with subnational governments in delivering key interventions to fast-track the achievement of the SDGs across the country.

She said the hospital is directly linked to the attainment of SDG-3 on quality health and wellbeing for all, as well as other allied SDGs.

While noting that the hospital was built and equipped to international standards, she explained that the hospital in Kebbi is one of over 40 units of 100-bed mother and child hospitals constructed and fully equipped across the country by OSSAP-SDGs.

“Let me from the outset appreciate President Tinubu for his sterling leadership and commitment to working closely with subnational governments to deliver key interventions to fast-track the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria,” she said.

“In the same vein, I would like to most sincerely thank Governor Nasir Idris for his unwavering commitment to the socio-economic transformation of Nigeria and our collective desire to achieve the SDGs in Nigeria.

“Based on President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, we are committed to prioritising key interventions with multiplier effects on multidimensional poverty such as basic healthcare, vocational skills development, and education provision.”

Orelope-Adefulire said with the COVID-19 pandemic challenging the healthcare system, strategic interventions such as the mother and child centre became imperative.

“Indeed, the primary and secondary effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could reverse decades of human development gains and undermine the achievement of the SDGs unless immediate action is taken and sustained,” she said.

The governor expressed appreciation to the president and Orelope-Adefulire for delivering the project in Kebbi.