Pfizer: Day Shekarau laid foundation of N3.8bn hospital

As the journey to put the model into pragmatic framework began in Dawakin Kudu Local Government of Kano State, the quarantine flag – which symbolises a disease-free environment – will soon stand at full mast in Kano when the project is completed August, next year. The 200-bed centre, which will be located on the outskirts […]

As the journey to put the model into pragmatic framework began in Dawakin Kudu Local Government of Kano State, the quarantine flag – which symbolises a disease-free environment – will soon stand at full mast in Kano when the project is completed August, next year.

The 200-bed centre, which will be located on the outskirts of the city, will replace the old Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), which is – against the modern practice – located within the town. The present hospital that treats infectious disease cases is located within the city and that poses danger of disease spread.

It was said that when the healthcare project comes on stream, its referral centre will not only be beneficial but uplifting – as it will be the first of its kind in Africa. Its diagnostic centre will be a vibrant centre that will identify ailments. The disease control centre is designed to foresee an impending outbreak and stop it from spreading across the state. Sunday Trust learnt that such is the logic behind building the hospital outside the ancient city.

As some people may likely expect, the project was not delivered through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, nor the monthly grants each component of the federating units are receiving. Rather, the N3.8 billion project came into fruition through negotiations by the Kano State government.

People say that the important part of the negotiation between Kano State government and Pfizer, the world’s largest research-based biopharmaceutical company that conducted a clinical trial of meningitis drug in Kano in 1996, is the medical centre. Although the victims are yet to be paid owing to a legal suit filed in a US court, people still regard the flag-off of the project as a welcome development.

According to Shekarau, the health centre is a quantum leap towards solving the problems of perennial diseases outbreak in the state. He also said it was a long stride towards solving the conundrum of diagnosis which still puzzles the underdeveloped world.

At the foundation laying ceremony of the health centre on Tuesday, Shekarau said his government does not intend to put the money into government coffers but rather, build a large health centre that will be beneficial to the people of Kano State.

Justifying the logic for negotiating out the sum of $10 million for the lawyers, Governor Shekarau noted that the lawyers deserved the whopping sum given the fact that they had argued plausibly for the state government.

Governor Shekarau said the Pfizer case was left to linger in court by successive administrations for about 10 years before his administration negotiated for an out-of-court settlement in order for the victims of the clinical test and Kano people to benefit from it.

Shekarau said he travelled to the United Kingdom, the United States and other parts of the world in order to finalise the negotiation process, which culminated in getting $75 million dollars as compensation.

He noted that the health centre becomes imperative considering the importance of diagnosis in medical service delivery. “Those who seek overseas medical services will tell you that there is nothing spectacular in seeking medical services abroad but the diagnosis. When an ailment is identified, the cure becomes very easy,” explained the governor.

Laying the foundation block, Shekarau counselled the victims to have faith in the fact that a human life could never be compensated with anything, Governor Shekarau hoped that the Trovan clinical test would be the last to wreak havoc on the lives of Kano people.

Headed by a respected retired diplomat and erudite scholar, Professor Shehu Galadanci, the fund intends to bring a world-class diagnostic centre, an effective disease control centre, reputable public health laboratory, result-oriented microbiological reference laboratory and good staff housing unit.

Lauding the governor for his effort to negotiate the compensation, the chairman of the Healthcare Related Programme Trust Fund, which was set up sequel to an agreement reached between American drug giants and the state government, Professor Galadanci revealed that the centre will be the first of its kind in not only Nigeria but the West African sub region.

“This medical centre will have a state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment for the diagnosis and treatment of many conditions, including cancer and serious life-threatening infectious diseases that are only treated in Europe and America. We must thank Governor Shekarau for his efforts in the negotiation process,” he said.

Galadanci said the medical centre will also have an in-patient facility for the treatment of severe life-threatening infections.

But beneath the euphoria that greeted the foundation laying ceremony, there is growing fears that succeeding governments may not likely pay attention to the maintenance and regular update of the hospital equipment, a situation that will make the centre appear like a white elephant project.