By Precious Mark
The Federal Government has commenced the distribution of life-saving medical equipment, ambulances, and essential medicines across Bauchi State to tackle high maternal and newborn mortality rates.
Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, flagged off the distribution at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) in Bauchi on Sunday.
He explained that the medical intervention is being rolled out under the Health Sector Renewal Programme to guarantee timely, high-quality, and life-saving healthcare for mothers and newborns, regardless of their location.
According to him, sustained investments in healthcare infrastructure have yielded major results, with over 45 million Nigerians now accessing primary healthcare services every quarter.
The Minister added that under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Compact, the Federal Government provides technical assistance, financing, and vital health commodities to state governments to rapidly boost local health outcomes.
He listed the items deployed to benefit 15 Local Government Areas in Bauchi State, which include Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) equipment, over 17,000 maternity delivery kits, 15 tricycle ambulances, and six fully equipped standard ambulances to improve emergency response times during pregnancy complications.
Pate, who also congratulated the graduating National Health Fellows from Bauchi State, strongly warned health officials against the diversion of the deployed items, insisting they must be distributed without any informal charges.
Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, the Executive Governor of Bauchi State, commended the Federal Government for the intervention and promised that the state would sustain its collaboration to protect mothers and babies.
Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, the National Coordinator of the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), stated that the project is a practical demonstration of the health pact signed between the Federal Government and the 36 states to anchor health investments on mutual accountability and measurable results.