Gombe State Deputy Governor, Dr Manassah Jatau, has commissioned three Hilux vehicles and 22 motorcycles donated by Global Fund to fight Malaria, Tuberculosis, and ensuring primary health care delivery in the state.
The commissioning was performed at the premises of the deputy governor’s office shortly after rising from the quarterly review meeting of the Gombe State Task Force on Primary Health Care and Immunisation.
During the meeting the Committee members were updated on primary health care key performance indicators and upcoming activities in the state, and they also shared fundamental priority strategic approaches and plans to improve primary health care performance in the next quarter.
The deputy governor who is also the Chairman,State Task Force on Primary Health Care and Immunisation, said Gombe State is doing very well in health and will continue to do so.
He said their concern was driven by the fact that health is critical to the development of every sector urging the members of the Task Force to be more committed to their responsibilities for them to achieve their goals of providing quality healthcare to people in the state.
He expressed worry that the task force has failed in the area of antenatal and nutrition and reiterated the need to ensure that lapses are corrected at the next review meeting.
He called on the representative of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum to inform the governors that this country must look inwards, that researchers must be engaged to source drugs and nutritious foods from local herbs, plants and crops otherwise people shall die, not because of disease but because the drugs are very expensive.
Speaking on the 440 health staff employed, the Deputy Governor said more are coming as government will continue to pay it’s counterpart fund for the benefits of the people in the state.
The commissioner of Health Dr Habu Dahiru, the Executive Secretary, Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Abdulrahaman Shuaibu delivered the opening remarks and the welcome address respectively, pointing out that the meeting demonstrates the commitment of the administration in strengthening primary health care activities in the state.
Goodwill messages came from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Representative of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum, Mrs Faiza Galadanci, and Representative of WHO.
The meeting came up with action points including need to provide life jackets for immunisation team in riverine areas, to advocate for more electric units for the cold store at the state medical central store, to consider alternative power source for the state cold store, such as solar, to ensure constant of power supply and to preside over all Evening Review Meetings during immunisation and other health campaigns among others.
Jack.A.Tasha
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity
(Deputy Governor’s office)
