Zulum Inaugurates Eye, Dental Hospitals, Mega School In Biu
.. Orders construction of 5 general hospitals
Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum on Tuesday inaugurated the state-of-the-art eye and dental hospitals as well as a mega secondary school in Biu Local Government Area in the southern part of the state.
The newly inaugurated 40-bed capacity eye jospital, equipped with advanced diagnostic and surgical facilities, is to address the growing need for ophthalmological care in the southern region of Borno.
The governor has also approved the appointment of a team of highly trained medical doctors and specialists who will offer treatments for cataracts, glaucoma and other vision-related ailments.
Similarly, the 30-bed capacity dental hospital will provide comprehensive oral health services, including preventive care, orthodontics and restorative treatments, ensuring that residents no longer have to travel long distances for dental care.
Zulum, during the inauguration, emphasised his administration’s commitment to improving the quality of life for Borno’s citizens.
He said, “Healthcare is one of the cardinal pillars of the Borno State’s 25-Year Development Plan and the 10-Year Strategic Transformation Initiative. Reflecting on this commitment, we allocated 15% of the state’s budget to health sector in the 2024 and 2025 fiscal year in line with the Abuja declaration recommendation for healthcare financing to prioritize health and well-being of our people.”
In his remarks, the Chief Medical Director of Borno State Hospital Management Board, Professor Abubakar Ali Kullima, said the two centres are not only for patients’ service but also for the training of healthcare professionals.
The CMD also stated that immediately after the inauguration, the hospital would be opened for free ophthalmic operation for citizens in the southern Borno catchment zone.
The governor also commissioned a mega secondary school at Miringa, 10 kilometres from Biu town, designed to accommodate over 1,300 students.
The school consists of 60 classrooms, an ICT centre and four laboratories among other facilities to enhance teaching and learning.
Governor Zulum also distributed text and exercise books, uniforms, school sandals and a bicycle for each of the enrolled students to ease movement to school from nearby villages.
Meanwhile, Governor Zulum says contracts have been awarded for the construction of new general hospitals in Askira Uba, Magumeri, Gubio, Mafa and Dikwa local government areas.
The governor expressed commitment to addressing the manpower needs in the health sector to deliver optimal services to the people.
He said: “We recognise that the development of a resilient healthcare system necessitates more than just physical infrastructure. The availability of skilled healthcare professionals is equally crucial.
“To address this shortage of manpower, we are launching a multidimensional initiative, incorporating a range of measures to attract, train, retain, develop skilled healthcare professionals and talents and collaboration with educational institutions among others.”
In his remarks, Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Professor Baba Mallam Gana, said Borno is the first state in Nigeria to construct eye and dental hospitals in each senatorial zone.
According to him, the facilities have specialists who have the capacity to handle advanced ophthalmological and dental health cases and cater for patients.
