FG, Sokoto sign MoU to improve healthcare services

THE Federal Government and Sokoto State Government have joined forces to improve quality healthcare services to the rural communities in the state.

This was made known  in Abuja when the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Executive Governor Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal on how to use the available human resources in the Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) to extend quality healthcare services to the rural communities in the state.

The partnership is on five thematic areas which include: Metropolitan Posting, Rural Posting, Outreach Services, Accident Cases and establishment of State Medical School/ Teaching Hospital.

According to the MoU, consultants from the University Teaching Hospital would be posted to the Sokoto State Specialist Hospital, Murtala Muhammad Hospital and Wamako Orthopedic Hospital all in the city centre of Sokoto to provide training  and research on major specialties such as Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Pediatrics.

Also, the University Teaching Hospital is expected to post resident doctors with a consultant as a supervisor to three or six general hospitals to render clinical, training and research services in the state.

The usual outreach services rendered by the teaching hospital would be extended to visit other general hospitals that are without resident doctors, once every month.

The agreement indicated that the Sokoto State Government and Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital would work together to minimize morbidities and mortalities as a result of road crashes in the state.

The teaching hospital would create centre that could be reached through phone calls after road traffic accidents as well as emergency treatment to the victims before payment among others.

The MoU would look at the request of establishment of State Medical School Teaching Hospital with a view of reducing excess load on the Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital.

Professor Adewole described the partnership as an important strategy that would fast track the delivery of quality healthcare services to the grass roots.

“What we are trying to do is to bridge the gap between the federal, state and local governments in terms of health care services. The partnership is first of its kind in the country and is worth emulating by other governors,”  he added.

Adewole said it was imbalance where large number of human resources would be dominant in one place while other parts of the state were deficient in the same human resources.

In his remarks, the Governor of Sokoto State,  Aminu Waziri Tambuwal expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Health for accepting to work with the Sokoto State Government towards improving the healthcare of the rural communities in Sokoto State.

Tambuwal said that the Programme was targeted directly at the people of Sokoto State and it would have far reaching impact on the wellbeing of the people of the state.

“We will ensure that there is fairness, equity and equal opportunity to all people of Sokoto State during the implementation of the MOU.” Tambuwal added.

The Chief Medical Director, Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Yakubu Ahmad said that the Hospital had enough manpower that were  ready to work in the designated areas of the partnership in the state.