By Sule ALIYU, Bauchi
Bauchi State government has distributed 20 million doses of anti-malarial drugs and two million test kits to health centers across the state in the last two years.
The state Commissioner of health, Dr Halima Mukaddas disclosed this at the ongoing ministerial press briefing by the state’s Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs) regarding their activities since May 29, 2015.
She said that the distribution of the drugs and other medical consumables was being done on quarterly basis through the Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS Malaria and Tuberculosis (BACATMA).
The distribution of the drugs by BACATMA, an agency headed by Dr Mansur Dada is being coordinated by the Presidential Malaria Initiative through an effective distribution network provided by Chemonics.
Dr Mukaddas noted that the effective drugs network distribution as well as the reforms introduced by Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar especially the Five Points Health Agenda led to the massive success recorded in Bauchi State’s health sector.
The commissioner further informed that various other measures including building and equipping of 19 healthcare centers and renovation of others across the state has widened the reach and access to health centers to people of the state.
According to her a sustained effort was also put in place for human resource development in the health sector to ensure professionalism and adherence to the ethics of medical profession.
She admitted that although there are challenges being faced in the health sector in the state, the current effort being pursued by the government will transform the sector to meet standards and best practice received N109 billion, spent N110 billion in 2 years
In a related development, the State Government has received the sum of N109bn from the federation account and expended the sum of N110bn on both Capital and Recurrent expenditures in the last 2yrs in office.
Addressing Journalists in Bauchi at the ongoing ministerial press briefing, The state commissioner of finance, Alhaj Garba Sarki Akuyam noted that aside from the N109bn collected by the government from the federation account, the state also generated a colossal sum of N6.2bn from 2015 to 2016 as internally generated revenues.
“The account of this year is yet to be released so we cannot speak of the figures. We witnessed tremendous increase in IGR when compared to 2014 IGR which was N4bn.
“We all know that economic recession is biting hard in Nigeria as almost all the governors are struggling to meet the needs of their people; Bauchi state is doing its best and very soon the situation will improve in spite of economic meltdown. We are doing our best to make sure our IGR is on increase”, he added.
The Commissioner disclosed that his ministry procured 91 official vehicles at the cost of N1.76bn saying the ministry had during the period procured 91 vehicles that include Toyota Corolla, Land Cruised Prado Jeep Land Cruised Armour, Toyota Hilux, Toyota Hiace bus, Toyota Coaster bus, Peugeot 406 and Toyota Camry among others.
According to the Commissioner the ministry also purchased Toyota Camry Land Cruiser Jeep to Bauchi State representative in the Presidential Committee on North East Development Initiative.
“In 2015 N925, 782, 500.00 was expended in the purchase of official Cars to public and Civil Servants in the state with a view to enthroned effective service delivery while in 2016 the government spent N264, 842,112.94 and in 2017, official Cars worth N509, 326,367.50 were purchased” he said.
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