Bago inaugurates ultra-modern health facilities in Niger

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By Rita Iliya

Gov. Umaru Bago of Niger has inaugurated modern health facilities aimed at ending medical tourism and strengthening specialised healthcare delivery in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports in Minna on Monday that the facilities, located at the IBB Specialist Hospital, include newly constructed cabin wards for male and female patients.

The inaugurated facilities include newly constructed male and female cabin wards, a protacabin wing, a fully equipped Accident and Emergency Unit and a state-of-the-art radio diagnostics suite.

Bago said the hospital now boasts of a renal dialysis centre, Electrocardiogram (ECG) services, mammogram, X-ray, CT Scan and a modern surgical theatre, which he adjudged as one of the best in sub-Saharan Africa.

According to him, the facilities underscore his administration’s resolve to prioritise healthcare and position the state as a hub for advanced medical services in Nigeria and beyond.

“In Niger, we have continued to lead in the provision of primary healthcare delivery.

“We have completed 20 Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres and we are going for another 110,” he said.

He disclosed that the state was also working on revitalising its 22 general hospitals and had recruited 1,500 health workers to strengthen service delivery across the facilities.

He attributed the strides in the health sector to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, noting that increased resources to subnationals has enabled states to execute impactful projects.

He reiterated his administration’s vision to build a “New Niger” where citizens would enjoy dividends of democracy, especially in accessible and affordable healthcare.

The governor said that complex surgeries such as brain and spinal cord operations, knee replacements and other major procedures were now being conducted at the hospital.

He revealed that the government had signed agreements with medical partners in Egypt and Russia to enhance service delivery, including a pact that would see between 20 and 50 Egyptian doctors visit the state monthly for specialised services and training.

Bago added that 250 telemedicine machines would be deployed across 25 Local government areas to reduce the burden of travelling from rural communities to urban centres for medical consultations.

To ensure uninterrupted power supply, he said, the hospital would be taken off the national grid with the installation of a two-megawatt solar power system to guarantee efficient operations.

The governor further announced the creation of an employment portal aimed at scaling up the medical workforce from 500 to 5,000 personnel, offering competitive remuneration, doctors’ quarters, accommodation and transportation to attract professionals.

Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of IBB Hospital, Dr Bala Waziri, said the institution, which received a renewed mandate in 2012 as a specialist hospital, had witnessed rapid expansion to meet increasing demand for advanced medical care.

He noted that the new protacabin wing would increase admission capacity, while the inauguration of a functional ICU marked a historic milestone, as the state previously lacked such critical care infrastructure.

Waziri thanked the governor for approving the engagement of 29 visiting consultants which had enabled the hospital to provide full surgical services.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Murtala Bagana, said the state was upgrading primary healthcare centres from Level One to Level Two and had recruited over 2,000 health personnel since 2024.

Bagana said the upgraded facility would serve as a centre for specialised interventions and emergency care.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Ismail Abdulaziz

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