To complement its N7 billion Surgical and Diagnostic Centre (SDC) currently under construction, the Dangote Foundation has concluded the renovations of some sections of the Murtala Muhammed Specialists’ Hospital, Kano which gulped over N200 million.
The 900-bed capacity hospital, reputed for highest number of in-patients in sub-Saharan Africa has been lacking facilities that may detract from the new SDC being built by the Foundation, hence the decision to carry out the construction and renovation of the auxiliary facilities.
The Foundation is currently building a N7 billion Surgical and Diagnostic Centre at the hospital and the Foundation whose Chairman is from the state, said it was committed to its timely completion.
The Foundation handed over to the hospital management a renovated maternity ward, two ultra-modern maternity laboratories, upgraded water supply system Eclampsia ward, theatre and improved sanitary environment befitting of a specialist hospital.
President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, who was represented by his daughter, Hajiya Fatima Dangote, explained that the provision of the health care facilities was in line with the focus of the Foundation to contribute to improved health care service delivery in Nigeria as well as nutrition on the African continent.
He stated that his Foundation has mandate to intervene in the critical areas such as health, education and human development which was why the Foundation has also embarked on some poverty alleviation programmes targeted at women at the grassroots.
Kano State governor, who was represented by his deputy, Hafis Abubakar, expressed the state’s gratitude to Dangote Foundation for coming to the aid of the state in the task of provision of sound health care to the people of the state.
He urged other public spirited individual and organisations to rise up and partner with the state government orts at making life more meaningful to the people saying government alone could not provide all that the people need.
The Deputy Governor then called on the staff of the hospital to make judicious use of the facilities and maintain them like their personal property so that they can serve the people for a long time.
The state Commissioner for Health, Kabiru Getso, said the Murtala Mohammed Specialist hospital Kano, was established about 92 years ago and is one of the biggest facilities in Africa; with the maternity ward alone recording no fewer than 2,000 deliveries monthly.
Head of Medical laboratory of the hospital, Magaji Minjibir, said the intervention by Dangote Foundation was timely as, according to him, the state of the hospital has been appalling.
He added that the hospital’s laboratory has suffered congestion and the hospital generally bedeviled with many infrastructural challenges.
“At the Chemical pathology, we had to wait for our equipment to cool down before we process results. The Histology department had to stop work temporarily. Our authoclave is about 15 years old and outdated. We have only one microscope and this cannot cater for our teaming patients while lab staffers take turns to perform tests and this delays result especially for patients in emergency cases,” Minjibir stated.
The Matron in charge of Maternity ward, Hauwa Mansur Waziri, who also spoke on the pitiable situation of the hospital before the Dangote Foundation’s intervention, said the new facilities will go a long way in improving services and saving more lives.
“There is no doubt that our staff will now be motivated by the conducive environment made possible by the Foundation. They can now perform their duties free of so many hazards. The wards now have bright light, functional tools, water and toilets. All these would enhance condition of patients and help healing process,” she stated.
We know to get our healthcare infrastructure back on track there has to be some sacrifice after decades of neglect by successive government,and with current dwindling economy its fact that it’s going to be tough task.