HEALTH MINISTER VISITS KADUNA.......Gives Pass Mark to hospitals

DR. OSAGIE EHANIRE

With the temporary closure of the Abuja International Airport soon to takeoff, the Honourable Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire has commenced a visit to hospitals located in Kaduna state.

To this end, Dr. Osagie Ehanire visited the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) Base Hospital, 44 Army Hospital and St. Geralds Catholic Hospital to assess first hand, their preparedness for providing quality attention in the case of any eventuality and has scored all of the hospitals visited, very high.

He gave the commendations and pass mark while carrying out a tour of the various medical facilities which had been penciled down as referrals ahead of the dateline given for the temporary closure of the Abuja International Airport which is expected to pave way for the maintenance of the airport runway while flights are redirected to the Kaduna Airport.

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Aviation, it would be recalled, had announced 8th March, 2017 as dateline given for the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja for a six (6) duration to enable repair work on the runway executed.

According to the Honourable Minister, the inspection tour of the facilities at the hospitals was to enable him ascertain the hospitals state of readiness to handle accident emergencies in the event of any unfortunate incidence.

‘’Government is determined and resolute to ensure commuters’ safety as there is no room for complacency. We don’t want to be caught off guard’’, Dr. Ehanire stated.

At the NAF Hospital where he was conducted round by Group captain Gideon Bako, Director in charge, the Minister said that the hospital was chosen as the first port of call because of its proximity to the Kaduna airport.

Group Captain Gideon Bako assured the Minister of the Hospital’s readiness stating that the hospital had long before now, assembled  an emergency team capable of handling emergency situations.

“We have the equipment, we have the manpower and we are equal to the task to response to emergencies’’, the Director in charge said.

The Minister who was at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House on a courtesy visit to the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, was received by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Muhammad Bashir Saidu.

Dr.Osagie, while assuring the state government that the maintenance of Abuja-Kaduna highway  corridor and the upgrade of health centres along the highway had already received attention, stressed that it was envisaged that during the closure of the Abuja Airport, there was going to be monumental increase in vehicular and human movements which always come with attendant consequences.

He therefore called on the Kaduna State Government to expedite action on the refurbishment of Doka General Hospital situated along the Abuja-Kaduna highway to provide emergency care.

Dr. Osagie reiterated that the First Aid Centres and Primary Health Care Centres along the highway were being upgraded to take care of minor injuries, while severe cases would go to the referral hospitals which also include the National Hospital, Abuja and the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada.

Assuring the public that Government was on top of the situation, the Minister  added that the Federal Ministry of Health was collaborating with the Federal Road Safety Commission, Federal Fire Service, Nigerian Police, NEMA, Ministry of Defence, Aviation Ministry, Kaduna and Niger State Governments to drive this process.

“This is a pilot project to provide emergency response on our highways and would be sustained. We would replicate this service along other highway corridors to give fast and competent response to emergencies’’, Dr Ehanire said.

In his response, the Chief of Staff, Muhammad Bashir Saidu assured that the Kaduna State Government would support the Federal Government’s efforts to drive this process to fruition.