Niger takes delivery of N800m hospital equipment

By Wole Mosadomi

MINNA — Hospital equipment worth N800m have been delivered to the Niger State government and ready for immediate distribution to various hospitals and health care centres in the state.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony of distribution of the equipment to seven renovated, upgraded and three newly built hospitals in Minna yesterday, Governor Aliyu Muazu said the delivery of the medical equipment was a practical demonstration and genuiness of the present state administration to provide qualitative healthcare services to the people in line with its Vision 3:2020.

The governor explained that the project was a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement, adding that the sole financiers gave N5 billion with no interest for the purchase of the equipment and that government had paid back half of the money and assured that it would not fail in its responsibility to pay back the money in full in line with the agreement.

Governor Muazu recalled that when he took over the mantle of leadership in 2007, all the general hospitals and health care centres in the state were in need of attention and that this prompted the steps taken to renovate and re-equip all existing general hospitals in the state and build three new ones at Gulu, Sabo Wuse and Nasko which would be commissioned next month.

He said government has already commissioned the Bangi general hospital in Mariga LGA, renovated that of Sarkin Pawa in Munyan LGA.