The Sokoto State Government has announced plans to replace the over 100-year-old Specialist Hospital in Sokoto with a world-class medical facility.
The new hospital is part of Governor Ahmad Aliyu’s broader plan to overhaul the state’s health sector and restore public confidence in government-run hospitals.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Faruk Umar Abubakar, disclosed this during a media chat on Wednesday, saying the current facility was no longer fit for purpose.
‘This hospital has served our people for over a century. The governor has approved the construction of a world-class replacement that will offer comprehensive and specialist care to meet the needs of today’s patients’, Abubakar said.
The announcement comes amid ongoing rehabilitation of over 125 primary healthcare centres and several general hospitals across the state, alongside an aggressive equipment upgrade programme.
According to the commissioner, 240 new hospital beds and mattresses, nine ultrasound machines, and three X-ray machines have been procured and distributed across the state’s three senatorial zones.
‘This is a clear break from the inaction of past administrations. We’re decentralizing services so patients in rural areas no longer have to travel to Sokoto metropolis for a simple scan or X-ray’, he said.
Recounting the situation he met upon assumption of office, Abubakar said many health centres had no electricity, sanitation, or functioning equipment.
‘It was a scandal. We found maternity wards without light and widespread open defecation due to lack of toilets. But today, we are tackling those problems head-on’, he said.
To ensure uninterrupted service, the state has commenced installation of solar power systems in all healthcare centres, with a special focus on emergency and maternity units.
Boreholes are also being drilled to provide regular water supply, while inmates from correctional centres have been engaged to clean hospital environments.
As an interim measure, the abandoned amenity ward and surgical theatre at the old Specialist Hospital have been rehabilitated pending the construction of the new facility.
‘We’re not just rebuilding structures, we are rebuilding trust in public healthcare’, Abubakar stressed.
The commissioner noted that the administration’s focus on preventive care and grassroots engagement is yielding significant results.
He disclosed that vaccine rejection has dropped sharply, from 4,000 cases to just 1,000 in the last immunisation cycle, thanks to advocacy from traditional rulers and religious leaders.
‘Our community outreach, combined with support from local leaders, is helping to change perceptions and save lives’, he added.
Other key interventions include accreditation of four hospitals to provide free obstetric services, including Caesarean Sections, under the National Health Insurance Scheme, and the approval of a 10% salary bonus for medical professionals working in rural areas.
The state has also strengthened disease surveillance, improved training for epidemiologists, and is collaborating with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria to curb the activities of quacks in the health sector.
‘This administration is not waiting for health emergencies. We are building a proactive, preventive-focused healthcare system’, Abubakar said.
