FG hands over health centres to 12 states to boost childcare

The federal government says 14 newly built health facilities have been handed over to federal teaching hospitals and Federal Medical Centres (FMC) in twelve states.

Speaking during an interview on Thursday in Abuja, Tunji Alausa, minister of state, health and social welfare, said the facilities include health and maternal and child centres (MCC).

Alausa said the initiative was part of President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda to provide quality healthcare services to Nigeria.

He said the new facilities will help address issues of child and maternal death in Nigeria, adding that only slight progress has been made in tackling infant mortality rate.

He said the country contributes 20 percent to maternal mortality rates globally.

He named states allocated the centres as Bauchi, Delta, Plateau, Taraba, Abia, Cross River, Oyo, Kebbi, Ondo, Kano, Benue, and Ogun.

The minister said the centres were donated through the office of Princess Orelope-Adefulire, senior special assistant to the president on sustainable development goals (SDGs).

He said the facilities comprise of six fully equipped 80-bed health facilities and eight 100-bed MCCs across 12 states.

“This, in the long run, will contribute to the overall improvement of healthcare infrastructure in the country,” NAN quoted Alausa as saying.

He commended the SSA for the initiative and partnership, adding that inter-governmental collaboration is crucial in achieving SDG 3.

“The ministry looks forward to the positive impact these facilities and the partnerships will have on the health outcomes of the nation,” he added.