The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has directed that all doctors and nurses of the Government House Clinic be transferred to the state-owned Dantsoho Hospital, Tudun Wada.
According to a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES, drugs and equipment in the state house clinic have also been moved to the hospital. Also, government house staff have been directed to henceforth use the Dantsoho hospital for their medical needs.
The Kaduna governor’s decision to cancel the privileged Government House Clinic is contrary to the actions of the federal government who proposed spending more on the State House Clinic than major public hospitals used by most Nigerians.
The state house clinic is the federal government’s equivalent of Kaduna’s Government House Clinic and is mainly used by the presidency and its officials and families as well as very influential public and private officials.
PREMIUM had reported how the N3.2 billion allocated for capital projects at the state house clinic was more than the combined allocations for capital projects in all teaching hospitals in the country.
The allocation to the state house clinic is also more than the total allocation for the construction of hospitals across the country.
The presidency and the national assembly later admitted the proposed budget had several pitfalls and pledged to correct them.
While announcing the shutdown of Kaduna’s government clinic, Mr. El-Rufai said, “the decisions were taken in order to boost the healthcare system and making equal every citizen of the state to enjoy equal medical facility.”
“There are not yet enough doctors in the public health system in Kaduna State, therefore it is not prudent to assign doctors, nurses and other medical staff to serve Government House alone.
“It is clearly more beneficial to the wider society if the services of these medical personnel were made available to the public in a general hospital. In addition, it is better that everyone working in the Government House uses the same health facilities as the general public.”
Muhammad Armaya’u, medical director of Yusuf Dantsoho Hospital, confirmed that the hospital has received the drugs and equipment. He thanked Mr. El-Rufai and said the hospital will make good use of the extra capacity it has received.
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This makes sense, a lot of sense indeed and we hope it is not an isolated case. Others should learn from the action.