Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, has inaugurated 16 projects at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Kware, Sokoto State.
Speaking at the event on Wednesday, Dr. Iziaq Salako stated that the projects were part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and strategic vision.
He noted that the President is focused on empowering the country’s health institutions with all the necessary resources they need to function effectively.
Dr. Salako outlined the areas of support being provided to health institutions, including physical infrastructure, human resources, improved funding, and other essential interventions aimed at enhancing service delivery in hospitals across the country.
Projects completed at FNPH, Kware
He commended the management of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Kware, for the prudent use of allocated resources, expressing satisfaction that more than 16 projects had been completed.
“These projects include a Molecular Laboratory, Intensive Care Unit, Regional Women and Children Drug Dependency Treatment Centre, and an Accident and Emergency Centre.
“Others are a multipurpose students’ hostel, the School of Post Basic Nursing (Psychiatry), an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre, a multipurpose hall, and an alternative power supply system, among others.
“These projects, without any doubt, will positively impact care and lead to better outcomes for patients who visit this hospital,” Salako added.
Federal government’s nationwide health investments
The Minister added that the Federal Government had implemented over 500 key infrastructural projects and supplied advanced modern equipment to various Federal tertiary health institutions across the country.
He noted that the government recognizes that physical infrastructure alone is not sufficient to deliver quality healthcare.
“As a result, it has instituted a robust employment mechanism, which has led to the recruitment of over 15,000 health workers within a year,” he said.
Salako further stated that the government is also committed to continuous professional training for health workers.
“Through the Nigeria Digital in Health Initiative, it is advancing the digitization of healthcare service delivery to improve efficiency, transparency, quality of care, and accountability,” he added.
Addressing power challenges with renewable energy
The minister further explained that, to tackle the challenge of power supply in health institutions, the government is implementing an alternative power mechanism that leverages renewable energy sources such as solar.
Salako said, “The Federal Government plans to convene a National Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector to establish a better framework for deploying alternative power solutions and to attract more investment into powering the health sector.”
He added that the government has approved a Social Action Fund to empower 109 communities nationwide to implement community-owned health promotion projects, aiming to address some of the social determinants of health.
“We are also in the process of implementing ‘The Renewed Hope Health Connect,’ a fully funded healthcare intervention targeting one million vulnerable Nigerians with medical, surgical, ophthalmological, and audiological care,” he said.
Implementing the National Mental Health Act
He further highlighted that the ministry has begun implementing the Nigerian National Mental Health Act, 2023, starting with the creation of a mental health desk within the ministry and working towards establishing a full department.
“We are integrating mental healthcare into primary health care services, while also working to decriminalize suicide, eliminate stigmatization, and regulate involuntary seclusion,” he disclosed.
The Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Faruku Wurno, stated that the state government is partnering with the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Kware, to improve healthcare delivery in the state.
He emphasized that the integrated healthcare system currently in place at the hospital would help expand these collaborations further.
