Katsina govt. to spend N400m on health care delivery

The Katsina state government is to spend N400 million on the implementation of the World Bank sponsored health programme of the Save One Million Lives project.

Hajiya Mariyatu Usman, the state commissioner for Health, announced this during a sensitization visit to the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Farouk, on Thursday.

She said that the state would use the money for the promotion of the health of one million pregnant women and children under five years.

Usman that government would intensify efforts on routine immunization and vaccination against child killer diseases.

She said the state government would deploy 31 medical doctors and retired midwives and nurses to comprehensive health centres to ensure proper implementation and supervision of the programme.

The commissioner said the state government would issue 11,000 delivery kits to pregnant women in labour for safe delivery.

She added that government would also give 12,000 treated mosquito nets to pregnant women and children to prevent malaria.

Usman said government has procured N50 million worth HIV and AIDS testing kits and drugs for effective treatment of the diseases.

She said that efforts are on to intensify campaign against mother to child transmission of the disease.

Responding, Farouk assured the commissioner of support of traditional rulers in actualizing the lofty objectives of the programme.

He said cases of maternal and child mortality was more prevalent in rural areas due to poverty and ignorance.

The emir called for the establishment of more health centres in the state to achieve effective and wider coverage of health care delivery.