FG Approves three Additional Orthopedic Hospitals
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment of three more orthopedic hospitals across the country.
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, disclosed this on Wednesday at the official inauguration of the Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja.
The event was organised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) in partnership with development partners.
“The president has approved three more national orthopedic hospitals; one per geo-political zone.
“North-east has one; the North-central has one and the South-south has one; in Benin, Jos and Jalingo respectively,’’ he said.
On his part, Country Director, Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation, Jeremie Zoungrana, said that the PHC Challenge fund represented a unique opportunity to motivate and publicly recognise ownership and leadership at the subnational level.
He said that the PHC health indicators would be tracked to support the NGF build Governor-level accountability, improve performance management, and enhance investments in critical areas of PHC.
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The Minister of Finance, Hajia Zainab Ahmed, also spoke at the event, disclosing that a total sum of N471.9 billion had so far been disbursed by the Federal government as grant to states under the 1.5 billion dollars World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme.
Mrs Ahmed said that it was gratifying to note that beyond benefitting from the grants, all the 36 states in the federation had fully domesticated the fiscal reforms in their public financial management system.
In his speech, NGF’s Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, said the event buttressed the commitment of governors to building a resilient Primary Health Care System.
Mr Fayemi thanked the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Aliko Dangote Foundation, UNICEF, the Nigerian National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and the NGF Secretariat for putting together the challenge.
In the statement of declaration, Mr Fayemi said that following the induction to the Seattle Declaration by 36 governors of Nigeria in November 2019, the NGF affirmed its commitment to strengthen the primary health care system in the country.
SOURCE: NAN
