Most of the over 700 Primary Health Centres in Nasarawa State are ineffectual due to lack of qualified manpower, its Governor, Alhaji Tanko Al-makura has said.
Al-makura stated this when Mr Carlos Sosa, the Ambassador of Cuba to Nigeria visited him in Lafia on Tuesday.
He said this had brought with it attendant negative consequences on the public health service delivery especially in the rural communities.
He stated that there was need to reinvigorate the Primary Healthcare services in the state by strengthening human capacity in the health sector for which Cuba was renowned.
The governor solicited transfer of Cuban experts in the areas of health, agriculture and education to the state.
Al-makura said the state government would fund expenses of the volunteering expatriates for any period of time they wished to stay in Nasarawa state.
He also solicited Cuban government’s assistance for the establishment of a modern diagnostic/research laboratory in the state.
He explained that such laboratory would help checkmate communicable and other dangerous diseases affecting the wellbeing of the people.
The governor said the research centre would assist communities in the diagnoses of tropical diseases since there was no such centre in the entire northern region of the country.
“My government is committed to eliminating all forms of communicable and other diseases. I consider your coming to Nigeria as very timely.
“I and two other members of my family are victims of Lassa fever. As a government, we are committed to the welfare and wellbeing of the people;
“I should be at the forefront in seeking ways and means of addressing such diseases in the state and beyond”, he said.
The governor commended the Cuban government for its impressive development and urged it to invest in agriculture for the mutual benefit to the state and Cuba.
Al-makura said the state was willing and ready to provide the enabling environment for partnership to thrive if the Cuban authority agreed to its request..
Ambassador Sosa expressed his country’s readiness to partner and render support to Nasarawa state government in any area of its interest.
Sosa held that his country had made the most of its human resource to develop its capacity in various sectors prominent among which was her health sector.
He said Cuba had adopted preventive mechanism in healthcare delivery system through the use of organically manufactured drugs.
He urged Nasarawa state government to adopt the same strategy which was not only effective but also eco-friendly.
Sosa said his country was ready to deploy its expertise in the area of health to improve the health status of the state.
He said Cuba had developed two vaccines to prevent the spread of skin cancer and lung infection, noting that the country was free from malaria, lassa fever, ebola and other diseases. (NAN)
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