The Kano State Government is to introduce a reward and punishment policy as part of efforts to reinvigorate the health sector in the state.
The state commissioner for health, Kabiru Getso, made the remark on Wednesday while inspecting the polio immunization and routine immunization services at Tofa, Dawakin tofa and Shanono local government areas respectively.
Mr. Getso ordered all health workers in the state to enlighten people on the availability of free anti-malaria drugs in all government hospitals.
The commissioner also ordered workers to learn to regulate and account for services rendered to patients for record purposes.
“This government is committed towards providing drugs, manpower and renovation of some primary and secondary facilities in the state.
This is necessary for the wellbeing of the teeming populace and will punish anybody who misuses commodities meant for public consumption, “he said.
The commissioner expressed appreciation for the massive turn out of children and pregnant women for the immunization at the designated centres during the just concluded exercise.
NAN reports that the Immunization plus Days for the month of July was concluded on Wednesday in all the 44 local government areas of the state.
In a related matter, the Kano State House of Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill into law for establishment of Private Health Institutions Management Board 2017.
The assembly passed the bill initiated by the legislature after the third reading by the Clerk of the Assembly, Lawal Badamasi. The Speaker of the assembly, Abdullahi Ata, who presided over the plenary session, described the passage of the bill as “a welcome development.”
According to him, the bill was aimed at improving the health of Kano people by ensuring that they are treated by qualified health workers on affordable charges.
Mr. Ata added that “before we passed the bill, we had to thoroughly discuss on each and every part of its sections to ensure that it did not contradict the law that established the private health institutions.”
The speaker also said that the bill was aimed at controlling and regulating the activities of all private institutions in the state to make sure that they provided effective services to the public in a clean environment.
“The establishment of the law is also a great development in the State’s health sector because it will assist in regulating how private hospitals and other health institutions charge and treat their patients,” he said.
Briefing journalists shortly after the plenary session, the Majority Leader of the assembly, Abdulazeez Gafasa, said the establishment of the bill was necessary due to the high number of private institutions in the state.
According to him, some of the institutions are being operated by unprofessional people and it caused a lot of risk to the health of their patients and such must be avoided.
“The law will also make sure that the operators of the private health institutions are registered and also complied with the rules and regulations that allow for their establishment.”
Mr. Gafasa added that any private hospital or health institution’s operator caught violating the rules and regulations must pay from N100,000 to N200,000.
In a related development, the Assembly had also passed another bill for the establishment of Kano State Health Trust Fund bill 2017 which is aimed at assisting the less-privileged in the state. (NAN)
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