Two months after revoking Hasiya Bayero Paediatric Hospital, allegedly sold by immediate past governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, Kano State government, yesterday, reopened the facility for the public.
Governor Abba Yusuf refurbished the facility, recently, and redeployed healthcare givers.
On assumption of office, the governor announced the revocation of the 33-year-old facility, allegedly sold by Ganduje to a property agency.
Ganduje had reportedly relocated the only state-owned children’s healthcare centre to Isyaka Rabiu Specialist Hospital, Zoo Road, several distance from its original location.
But the former governor debunked the allegation, clarifying that the building housing Hasiya Bayero Paediatric Hospital was only converted to Malnutrition Treatment Centre.
A statement by Ganduje’s Information Commissioner, Muhammad Garba, noted that the paediatric hospital was relocated to Zoo Road hospital to render better medical services.
Declaring the rehabilitated facility open, Governor Yusuf said: “Ganduje sold the hospital to his cronies and shut down the facility after relocating the personnel to Zoo Road hospital.”
Yusuf maintained that the essence of reversing the former governor’s order and returning the facility to public use was to correct abuse of power. He reminded his subjects of the recovery of the centre that was named after the late grandmother of Emir of Kano, Alh. Aminu Ado Bayero, was to reduce out-of-pocket medical bills on the residents.
He said: “We promised to recover, renovate and provide the facility with state-of-the-art equipment for optimum service delivery and stem the tide of the abysmally high cost of ante-natal care and infant morbidity in the state. Our administration gave instructions for immediate redeployment of medical personnel to run the hospital efficiently.
“I call on the health workers to show dedication and commitment to duty in line with their professional ethics. This administration will not tolerate any act of indiscipline, misconduct or stealing of public property.
“Our government is committed to providing all the support needed in the provision of quality healthcare in the state, including free maternal and child care services.”
The Emir applauded the governor for reviving the paediatric hospital, calling for judicious use of the facility.
