Amidst ongoing cries and protests by security and cleaners at the Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital Gusau, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has approved the process of complete remodeling and renovation of the hospital.
This, the governor said is to meet the challenges of the growing need for tertiary medical services in Zamfara states which necessitated the declaration of state of emergency on the health sector in the state.
The governor who gave the approval the during the 19th Executive Council meeting at the Government House, Gusau, Monday, said the process would begin immediately and that the remodelling is expected to restore the facility to a modern and functional health centre
Sulaiman Bala Idris, the Governor’s spokesperson , in a statement said the decision was made in line with the recent declaration of a state of emergency in the Zamfara health sector.
“Yesterday, while presiding over the Executive Council meeting, Governor Lawal approved the process for the immediate remodelling of the Yeriman Bakura Specialist Hospital.
“The State Specialist Hospital has been in disrepair for a long time and has inadequate medical equipment. As a result, patients have had to travel to Sokoto or Kaduna for kidney dialysis and other critical medical tests.
“Alhaji Mustapha Falaki, the Managing Director of Minjirya Health Services Limited, presented to the council on the specialist hospital’s current state and the next steps in the remodeling process.
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“As part of the hospital’s remodeling plan, new structures and medical facilities will be built, machines will be equipped, and end-user training will be provided to make the Specialist Hospital a modern and well-equipped healthcare facility that will provide quality healthcare services to the people of the state”, said Sulaiman.
This remodeling came days after some cleaners and auxiliary security staff at the facility protested over eleven months unpaid salaries, thus disrupting medical services at the hospital for over three hours.
WikkiTimes had earlier reported that cleaners and security personnel of Yarima Bakura Specialists Hospital, Gusau, Zamfara State capital have blocked the entrance of the hospital protesting over eleven months unpaid allowances.
The protesting staff who worked under a company named Taula Guards and Security Services Ltd, said for over eleven months their meager twelve thousand naira allowances have not been paid, hence their decision to embark on the peaceful protest to take home their demands.
The staff mostly aged men and divorced women who work as cleaners and auxiliary security complained that they have channelled all their grievances to authorities concerned but to no avail, saying that the inability to pay them their allowance have compounded their present hardship.
