The Kaduna State government has announced plans to upgrade 255 health clinics across all 255 political wards within the next six months, as part of efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Danjuma Muhammed, the Focal Person for the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund in the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board, revealed the ambitious plan during a two-day Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Anchor IV grant project assessment meeting, organized by Save the Children International in Kaduna.
He explained that the upgrades aim to meet the phase two standards, including making the clinics climate-resilient, providing at least 13 rooms, running water, adequate toilets, and staff accommodation.
“To meet this required standard, PHCs are grouped into phases one, two, and three. Kaduna State PHCs are under phase one. So, the need to raise these facilities to phase two came up,” said Muhammed.
He also highlighted the government’s progress, stating that 185 of the clinics had already been upgraded to solar systems, with additional funding secured to revitalize 143 more facilities within the next six weeks.
“The idea came from the National Assembly as one of the achievements the current administration wants to accomplish as far as Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is concerned,” Muhammed added.
The state has also planned to ensure staffing is not a barrier, with the Impact project providing ₦100,000 per month to hire ad-hoc staff, starting in 2025.
“All these are part of the revitalisation I talked about earlier,” said Muhammed. “Currently, the Impact project, which is a grant from the World Bank through the federal government, where Kaduna is lucky to be one of the selected states, is touching 143 facilities to be revitalised within the next six weeks.
“As we speak, out of the seven slots that have been grouped for this, the contractors have been mobilised to start the revitalisation.
“Let me add that the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund is not standing alone. We also have six PHCs that are going to be upgraded as constituency projects. So, it is only 34 that we don’t have funds to revitalise.
“But, as of recently, even UNICEF is showing interest, and we are encouraging other partners to come and support the state so that the remaining 43 can be revitalised and moved to phase II PHCs,” Danjuma appealed.