The Kano State Government is seeking to deepen its medical partnership with Saudi Arabia as a team of Saudi specialists concluded a six-day free urological surgical outreach that treated 52 patients in the state.
The procedures were conducted at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) by specialists from Saudi Arabia under the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf said “the intervention demonstrated the importance of international partnerships in expanding access to specialised healthcare, particularly for vulnerable residents who may be unable to afford complex medical procedures.”
Govenror Yusuf said the latest exercise was the fourth medical outreach conducted by the Saudi medical team in Kano.
He recalled that more than 2,300 patients benefited from free eye surgeries during a similar Saudi-supported intervention in the state in 2023.
The Governor also recalled the case of conjoined twins from Kano who were taken to Saudi Arabia in 2023 for specialised surgery and subsequently spent about two years receiving medical care before returning to the state.
According to him, “the state government is working to further strengthen its healthcare partnership with Saudi Arabia, with arrangements underway to commence open-heart surgeries in Kano.”
Govenror Yusuf commended the management and staff of AKTH for their role in the successful outreach and pledged continued government support for the institution.
He also appreciated the Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria and the Consul General of Saudi Arabia in Kano, Sheikh Khalil Ahmad, for their contributions to strengthening healthcare cooperation between Kano and the Kingdom.
The leader of the Saudi medical team and renowned urologist, Dr Ali Ibn Mahfouz said the specialists successfully performed the required procedures, with no complications recorded during the exercise.
In a statement issued by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Governor Yusuf reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure, addressing manpower needs and expanding access to specialised medical and surgical services for residents.
