Yobe shuts eight private hospitals

He said the free health services initiated by the government for women and children below the age of five had been extended to community health centres across the state.The commissioner who lamented that Yobe had only 28 resident doctors including the chairman of the state Health Management Board noted with satisfaction that 23 Egyptian doctors […]

He said the free health services initiated by the government for women and children below the age of five had been extended to community health centres across the state.The commissioner who lamented that Yobe had only 28 resident doctors including the chairman of the state Health Management Board noted with satisfaction that 23 Egyptian doctors were recently employed by the state government in order the augment the number of those on ground. “We have posted them to General Hospitals in Gaidam, Gashua, Potiskum and Buni Yadi and they have since commenced work”, the commissioner said.

In order to encourage the doctors to stay in their places of postings, the commissioner said they were being paid good salaries. “Some of them get as much as $4,000 a month while the minimum we pay is $2,000”, he said.

He said the recent Yobe State Economic summit recommended the sum of N411,887,851.50 annually for free healthcare programs as well as additional N61,873,177.30 annually for supervision monitoring.

“Available statistics has indicated that the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 1,549/100,000 live births in the North East zone is the worst in the country. Further more recent survey of Yobe State  has  also revealed an alarming rate of 3,200/100,000 live births and a life time risk of dying from pregnancy related complications of 1 in 6”, the commissioner said.

According to him, the scope of coverage of the free medical health services in the state covers pregnant women (ante-natal, labour, deliveries, post natal care); Under 5 children (all common childhood  diseases) and accident victims ( within the first 48 hours).