- Governor Radda made these remarks on Tuesday
Katsina State Governor, Mallam Dikko Radda, PhD, has pledged to work with development partners to improve residents’ health and wellness.
Some stakeholders noted that security issues have hindered vaccination efforts in parts of the state, leading to the emergence of polio variants in hard-to-reach areas.
Governor Radda made these remarks on Tuesday while hosting a delegation of development partners led by Dr. Audu Musa, Deputy Incident Manager of the National Polio Emergency Operation Centre, at General Muhammadu Buhari House, Katsina.
He expressed appreciation for the launch of an accountability framework in the state’s health sector, ensuring stakeholders meet expectations for improved service delivery. Radda also suggested implementing similar frameworks in other sectors.
Regarding the planned upgrade of the state’s emergency operation centre, approved by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Radda promised necessary budgetary provisions for its full utilization.
“This centre, set to operate 24 hours a day, will respond to all emergency health-related cases, significantly improving healthcare accessibility for Katsina residents”, Radda said.
The Governor, while concerned about the increasing number of Circulating Variant Polio viruses in the state, directed the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Agency to collaborate with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other relevant security agencies to vaccinate every eligible child in the state.
On his part, the leader of the delegation, Dr Audu Musa, highlighted ongoing challenges, including the emergence of polio variants in some hard-to-reach areas due to current security issues.
He stressed the need for the government to tackle the issue of malnutrition and low routine immunisation coverage.
Dr. Musa further said, “I commend you, Governor Radda for your efforts in repositioning the state’s health sector.”
During their two-day working visit, the visiting team engaged with various stakeholders, including the First Lady of the State, Hajia Zulaihat Dikko Umaru Radda, local council chairmen, traditional rulers, and community members, on how to improve the health care of the people.