The Kaduna State Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Paul Dogo has said that 996 operational Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) provide routine immunisation and outreach services across the state.

In his briefing to development partners, civil society organisations and Journalists at the 2017 first quarterly Open Kaduna State Ministry of Health on Friday in Kaduna also said that, out of 254 contractors so far taken to site, only 150 contractors are working on site of the 255 PHCs that are undergoing expansion and renovation.

“Four sites, namely, Kargi, Yakawada, Ungwan Nungu-Sanga and Fanhauya-Giwa have been completed and are ready for handing over.

“Two sites, namely, PHC Hunkuyi and Kauran Wali are 89% completed. All the sites in Giwa and Kudan LGAs are 78% completed,” he said.

Dogo also noted that, the cold chain equipment required to fill the existing cold chain gap have been procured and are awaiting the completion of rehabilitation of the PHCs for installation

“Additional cold stores, one in each Senatorial zone have been completed with new walk-in-cold rooms installed,” the Commissioner added.

On Human Resources for health, Dogo said the Civil Service Commission is handling the approval given by the Governor for recruitment.

He said applications are being processed; aptitude test and interviews would be conducted thereafter.

“We are recruiting among others, 1,000 nurses, 20 consultants, 50 medical officers Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, Laboratory Scientists and Technicians, Physiotherapy, etc,” he said.

He said 46 applications were received for 20 available vacancies for the Consultants in special fields.

“We are going to recruit 50 medical officers, but we received 303 applications.

“We are recruiting 100 B.Sc. Nursing staff and we received 93 applications.

“Nurse Midwife’s, we are recruiting 200, we have received 107 applications.

“We want to recruit 500 midwives, and we have received only 263 applications,” the Commissioner said.

He also disclosed that the state government has identified a property that will be acquired for use as outpatient department with the view to ensuring that, additional space is provided for more service in the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, for the state owned university.

“Opposite the Hospital in the former NITEL building, we have identified a property there, it is to be acquired and used as outpatient department.

“We have discussed with the owner, we have negotiated, we are waiting for the owner to accept our own deal and it will be acquired,” he said.

He said the insecurity in Southern Kaduna has slowed down the budget performance in the College of Nursing and Midwifery, Kafanchan.

The Kaduna State 2017 Health Budget Scorecard presented by Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR) Kaduna Maternal Accountability Mechanism (KADMAM), Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH), and Strengthening Accountability For Maternal Health In Nigeria (SAMIN) indicated that, N179, 617, 144 and N409, 400,000 approved for the college and Kaduna State AIDS Control Agency respectively are yet to be released.

On the update on Cerebro Spinal Meningitis, the Commissioner confirmed eight deaths out of 68 recorded suspected cases from 15 LGAs.

The LGAs with 11 confirmed cases are Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Igabi and Giwa. The scorecard recommendations read by Mustapha Jumare, Co-chairman of KADMAM, advised for timely release of funds to Health MDAs in subsequent months for speedy implantation of activities.

It also recommended work with Civil Society Organizations such as KADMAM to conduct budget tracking at health facilities and provide feedback to Ministry of Health.

•Photo by Garba Ahmed shows participants at the 2017 first quarterly Open Kaduna State Ministry of Health on Friday in Kaduna.

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