The Gombe State Government has approved the sum of 1 billion 892 million, 276 thousand, 864 naira 11 kobo for construction of a new General Hospital in Kumo, Akko Local Government Area.
It also approved the renovation and remodeling of General Hospital, Kaltungo at the cost of 1 billion, 2 hundred and 17 million, 683 thousand 194 naira 10 kobo.
Addressing journalists after an Executive Council Meeting, the Gombe State Commissioner for Housing, Dr. Abdullahi Idris Kwami, said work would soon commence at the new site in Kumo, because the contractors had been awarded and would soon be mobilised with 30% of the total sum,
Dr. Kwami said the upgrading and remodelling of the Kaltungo General Hospital had been awarded to three contractors with a contract duration of 17 months, while the construction for Kumo General Hospital would be for a period of 28 weeks.
He said those were the fulfilment of the campaign promises Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, to upgrade one General Hospital in each of the three Senatorial Districts of the State into special referral centres.
According to him, the aim was to reduce the burden of long distance journeys taken by patients into the state capital for medical attention.
Explaining further on the two health facilities being constructed and renovated in Gombe, the Commissioner of Health Dr. Habu Dahiru said both health facilities in Kumo and Kaltungo would witness major improvement in all departments of the facilities, including the provision of both senior and junior staff quarters.
Dr. Dahiru said recreational facilities would be constructed within the premises of the hospitals.
Environmental interventions
The Commissioner of environment, Dr. Husseina Danjuma Goje announced that Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s directive and approval of 83 million, 952 thousand, 726 naira to her Ministry for the desilting of major storm drainages in the state, especially those located within the flood prone areas in the State.
Dr. Goje said the directives followed the receipt of the 2021 Weather Forecast report by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, which showed that Gombe State was among 27 states in the country with a serious flood outlook.
She also said the governor approved another 361 million, 368 thousand naira for the construction of 180 additional Waste Collection Centres within and outside Gombe, to check the excesses of indiscriminate dumping of waste in water channels.
PEWASH
The Commissioner of Information, Mr. Julius Ishaya, said that the state Executive Council had ratified and approved the participation of the state in the second phase of the Partnership for Extended Water Supply Sanitation and Hygiene PEWASH programme.
Mr. Ishaya said 250 million naira counterpart funds had been approved for Billiri Nafada and Yalmatu Deba Local Government areas as beneficiaries.
He also announced the payment approval of 220 million naira examination fees by the State Executive Council for students of Gombe State origin who were writing the 2020/2021 Senior Certificate of Education Examination.
Lateefah Ibrahim
