By Mani Imman.
The maxim, health is wealth, is a truism well understood on the Plateau that is increasingly being brought to shape by the Governor Caleb Mutfwang administration.
When the Governor came on board in May 2023, and knowing too well that only healthy citizens can create wealth, he gave a marching order that redundant health institutions in the State be activated and utilized for the good of citizens. It was in that direction that the administration repositioned the State Specialist Hospital, Jos. It was re-equipped and appropriately staffed to the purpose of expanding its operations, for quality healthcare service delivery.
Commendably, this order has resulted in the kick-starting of operations in the General Hospitals in Riyom, Kwall (Kanke LGA), and Mabudi in the Langtang South local government area, and citizens are the better for it.
Understanding that a large chunk of the State’s population is domiciled in rural communities, which often have no access to quality healthcare it was a thing of concern to Governor Mutfwang given his clear determination to boost the capacity of those in the rural areas through enhancing their agricultural output.
But how would those in the rural areas enhance productivity, and drive economic growth if they were unhealthy.
Rekindling citizens’ hope, he recently awarded contracts and presented cheques to contractors including Forest Engineering Ltd., MAICAT Nigeria Ltd., HALCYON General Merchant Limited, and Hope River International Limited for the renovation and upgrade of 82 Primary Healthcare Centres, PHCs across the 17 Local Government Areas of the State, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to improving the quality of life for Plateau citizens, particularly the vulnerable population.
Utilizing the opportunity presented through the IMPACT Project, a comprehensive programme designed to create lasting improvements in the State’s healthcare system, the initiative aims to revamp at least four PHCs in each of the 17 Local Government Areas to ensure equitable distribution of resources and services.
The upgrades which will include the construction of perimeter fencing, two-bedroom staff quarters, motorized boreholes, and the installation of solar panels to guarantee uninterrupted power supply for effective service delivery will boost the morale of staff who by the way are getting their salaries paid at when due, and ginger them to give humane care to the patients.
Governor Mutfwang envisions the State being a health tourism hub for Nigerians and others, and the little steps being taken in repositioning the Primary Healthcare Centres, the secondary, and tertiary health institutions is a testament that at the end of Governor Mutfwang’s tenure, infrastructural development, and trained personnel in the State’s healthcare system would be such that would truly deliver quality healthcare services to all.