Bauchi State Convenes First ever Health Summit, to Address Gaps in Healthcare System
By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
Towards addressing some of the gaps in health care delivery system in Bauchi State, the State Government on has organized a two day Health Summit as part of its commitment to provide one of the best healthcare services to the citizens of the state.
Addressing the participants at the mainden edition of the health summit held at Command House Bauchi, Governor Bala Mohammed said the summit will provide an opportunity for discussion on the strength and weakness facing healthcare delivery in the state with a view to proffer enduring solution.
He said the state government deemed it necessary to come up with the summit as a result of the malfunction and highly inefficient health care system inherited by the current administration which was characterized by huge infrastructural deficit, inadequate human resources among others.
“This summit is not intended to be talk-shop, it is not for the optics either. We want all of you participants to broaden the scope of your knowledge, widen our horizon regarding the constraints and limitations, the gaps and the empirical practices that will guide us in providing one of the best healthcare services in the country. That is our goal.”
He assured that, recommendations from the summit will be taken into consideration especially in the planned of recruitment of health personnel and advancing the sector.
“This summit will be meaningful only if in the next two to six years, Bauchi State is adjudged to have achieved a significant milestone in these areas of overcoming our infrastructure deficit in the sector, possessing some of the best medical care professionals to serve the needs of our people, addressing the core challenges of medical care for the greater number of our disadvantaged citizens.”
In a key address, a renowned pharmacist Dr. Usman Bugaje speaks on the need for the Bauchi State health care system to have a sound data management and planning for effective implementation of it’s policies and programmes in that direction.
Bugaje also advised the state government to integrate nutrition in it’s approach to addressing challenges primary health care system.
“Poor nutrition leads to poor mental development”, Dr. Bugaje said.
Bugaje further reiterated the need for a sustained advocacy and awareness creation to change the perception of both health care service providers, clients and the general public on how they view health care.
Declaring the summit open, the minister of health, Dr Osagie Ehanire who declared the , described the conduct of the summit as timely and suggested for the use of technology in order to achieve the desired objectives.
The Minister Commended Governor Bala Mohammed for the achievements so far recorded in the health adding that, “ I have seen passion in your speech and I must admit that you are on the right track”.
The minister also pledged for continued support for effective service delivery.
Our correspondent reports that the two days health summit, with the theme, Optimising the Healthcare System in Bauchi State”, will feature presentations from the state and federal government health actors and panellists were drawn from the academia, state health MDAs, development partners in health and the civil society organizations. The traditional institutions also featured prominently during the opening ceremony.
It expected that a communique will be issued at the end of the summit.