TheCable

The Borno state government has begun the construction of Borno State University Teaching Hospital and College of Medical Sciences.

Babagana Zulum, the governor, who disclosed this on Thursday, saying this is to enable the Borno State University start awarding degrees in medical programmes.

Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, laid the foundation stone for the teaching hospital located at Njimtilo, near the university’s campus along Maiduguri-Damaturu road on Thursday.

The development comes less than three weeks after Zulum led a delegation to Egypt to discuss collaborations on the establishment of the teaching hospital.

Speaking during the stone laying event, the governor said upon completion of the project, the state would be able to produce healthcare providers that would cater to its increasing population.

He said the project is also part of his administration’s 25-year development plan for the state.

“In fulfillment of the criteria for the establishment of medical colleges, we are here to witness a foundation laying ceremony for the two important projects,” he said.

“We want to start medical courses especially medicine etc in the state university so that we can produce healthcare providers and undertake research as well. but aside academic purposes, we know that there is increasing population in Maiduguri and we have only one teaching hospital, and Maiduguri has population of over 3 million inhabitants.

“A new teaching hospital will serve the increasing population, and this is also in line with our development plan. Just five days ago we have launched our 25-year Development Plan, the state university teaching hospital and college of medical sciences are part of that plan we are implementing.”

On his part, Othman Kyari, chairman of the committee for the establishment of the teaching hospital, said he believes the project will be one of the best in the country when it becomes operational.

“This is the first phase of this teaching hospital, in coming up with this, we looked for the best of the best of our existing teaching hospitals and other teaching hospitals outside the country. The requirements of all the regulatory bodies (medicine and surgery, dentists, radiologists, pharmacists etc) were put into consideration, we believe that by the time this complex is completed, I think it will probably be one of the best in the country,” Kyari said.