The North-West Development Commission (NWDC) has pledged to support the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) and other critical health institutions across the region as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and reduce mortality.
Abdulrashid Yusuf Safana, the Director, Press and Public Relations of the North-West Development Commission disclosed this in a statement sent to GLOBAL TRACKER in Kano on Friday.
According to the statement, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NWDC, Professor Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji, made the commitment when he received the Chief Medical Director of AKTH, Professor Abdulhamid Abbas Sheshe, who led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Commission.
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The meeting focused on critical healthcare challenges and possible areas of collaboration to improve healthcare delivery, emergency response and referral services across the seven North-West states of Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.
Ma’aji described AKTH as a critical referral institution serving patients from Kano and other states across the country.
He said the Commission had received the hospital’s requests and would review them before forwarding recommendations to its Governing Board for consideration.
“AKTH is a critical institution, and many states depend on it for specialised care. We have received your requests and we will review them with management and forward recommendations to the Governing Board for consideration,” he said.
Among the requests presented by the AKTH management were solar and mini-grid power solutions, additional ambulances for emergency response, critical laboratory equipment and improved maintenance of medical equipment.
Professor Sheshe said the meeting also addressed the need to reduce maternal and child mortality, tackle drug addiction and strengthen rehabilitation and treatment services.
He stressed that reliable electricity remained crucial to the hospital’s operations, while adequate ambulance services were necessary for timely emergency response.
The CMD also highlighted the importance of providing and maintaining modern medical equipment to improve patient care.
According to him, although the proposed interventions would require time, support from the NWDC could significantly improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes in the region.
Both parties agreed to hold a follow-up meeting to undertake a more detailed assessment of the hospital’s needs and determine possible areas of intervention.
Ma’aji disclosed that the Commission was also reviewing requests from other tertiary healthcare institutions across the North-West, including Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical Centres and state teaching hospitals.
He cited the Federal Medical Centre, Gusau, which recently requested assistance after a windstorm damaged some of its communication wards and equipment.
“We will look at all these requests and see what we can do to the best of our capacity and within our mandate. Health is central to our development agenda for the Northwest,” Ma’aji said.
The engagement is expected to deepen collaboration between the NWDC and healthcare institutions in the region, with particular attention to power supply, emergency services, medical equipment and specialised healthcare.