At least 146 primary healthcare facilities in Katsina State, have been fully renovated and upgraded by the state government as part of measures to provide 24-hour improved and critical healthcare service delivery.

The renovation project which commenced last year with 102 PHC facilities cut across the 34 LGAs of the State, includes infrastructure upgrade, provision of equipment, construction of staff quarters, wall fencing, provision of water supply, and solar lighting in all the facilities.

This is in addition to the training of over 5,000 healthcare workers on integrated PHC services and the engagement of 150 midwives who have been posted to various Healthcare facilities to improve skilled birth attendance at delivery.

The Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Agency, Shamsuddin Yahaya,  disclosed this on Monday in an exclusive interview with Channels Television Crew at his office in the State Capital.

He explained that in the 2024 budget, N125 million was used in procuring drugs which have been distributed to all the comprehensive health centres to ensure that diseases and outbreaks such as diphtheria and cholera are either prevented or responded to across the State.

“A similar gesture was seen in 2023 where N50 million was earmarked and used for the procurement of drugs. This is to ensure that diseases are prevented and respond to outbreaks of diphtheria and cholera.

“A lot of funds were earmarked for procurement of drugs for surveillance which include active case search and contact tracing and training of healthcare workers.

“We have also done a lot in terms of nutrition in the state where 300 million Naira was paid in the 2024 budget as matching funds to UNICEF for the procurement of RUTF for treatment of acute malnutrition and other important nutritional supplements.

“N200 million was also earmarked as matching funds for UNICEF to match the same amount for the procurement of nutrition commodities to address issues. We have conducted a lot of training for over 5,000 healthcare workers on integrated PHC services in the State to improve service delivery.

“The state has also done a lot in providing high-quality PHC services in the State and we have done useful innovations to improve health care delivery. Some of these include: we have introduced biometric data capturing to ensure that Healthcare workers remain in their places of work in one facility per LGA and we can monitor them.

“We have engaged Local doctors mostly senior doctors and consultants to provide mentoring to primary healthcare workers and to provide services.

“The government has engaged 150 midwives and posted to various facilities to improve the skilled birth attendance at delivery,” he noted.

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N50bn Budgeted For Water-Related Projects

Meanwhile, the Katsina State Government said it has earmarked N50bn aimed at executing various water-related projects across the state in the year 2025.

The Managing Director of the state Water Board, Tukur Tingilin, disclosed this on Tuesday while inaugurating grievance redress committees at the Katsina State Local Government Service Commission.

He explained that the State Government has in this year initiated various projects that will benefit the people, especially in terms of providing potable water across the state.

Tingilin pointed out that, the government has committed N8.4 billion for the 2024 project, to overhaul, upgrade, and rehabilitate water facilities across five Local Government Areas in the state.

He explained that the aim of the projects which is under the World Bank NG-SURWASH programme across five LGAs in the state, alongside 20 communities, was to improve water supply and infrastructure in the state.

According to the DG, the project will also involve the replacement of obsolete pipes, installation of new water systems, and general facility upgrades, adding that extensive consultations with stakeholders in these communities, were conducted to ensure the success of the initiative.

“The grievance redress committees were inaugurated for Katsina/Batagarawa, Daura, Funtua Dutsinma, and Malumfashi Local Government Areas (LGAs). The committee is aimed to ensure intervention when the need arises, between the communities where those projects will be executed and the contractors.

“For instance, while executing the projects, and it passes through someone’s shop, the committee will intervene to ensure that those affected residents are compensated. Compensated in the sense that, when a water pipe is passing through the shop, the committee will ensure that anything broken, must be fixed back.

“The committee is also responsible for monitoring the project’s implementation, to ensure it meets the required quality and specifications.

“The upgrade of some water facilities across the communities, aimed to meet up with the large population in the areas because, maybe when those facilities were provided, the residents were not more than 200, but now they have increased to thousands.

“Those communities will also be provided with more water tanks, boreholes, and solar facilities, and also ensure their maintenance. This will enable the residents to have a clean and potable water supply in their houses. And we are also targeting to connect many extension areas with water lines,” he stated.

Earlier in his address, the District Head of Malumfashi, and Galadiman Katsina, Sadiq Mahuta, commended the governor for his initiatives.

He assured the government that both the Katsina and Daura emirate councils would ensure the successful execution of the projects.