Advertisement
North-West Commission Partners Dala Hospital to Cut Healthcare Costs
By Lawal Dahiru Mamman
The North-West Development Commission (NWDC) has announced a partnership with Dala Orthopaedic Hospital, Kano, aimed at reducing operational costs and making healthcare services more affordable for patients.
In a statement signed by the Commission’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Abdulrashid Y. Safana, on Thursday, the Managing Director of the Commission, Professor Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji, disclosed the initiative during a meeting with the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Dr. Isa Nurudeen.
“As an intervention agency, we will carry out a needs assessment of the hospital’s operational requirements, especially the energy component needed to power sophisticated equipment. Based on this, we will develop a partnership framework to minimise running and maintenance costs,” he explained.
Professor Abdullahi expressed optimism that subsidising operational costs would directly translate into reduced service charges for patients.
“By the time the Commission intervenes and subsidises the operational cost, the gesture will automatically translate into a reduction of service charges for respective patients,” he said.
He further revealed plans to extend similar support to other major hospitals in the region, including Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika-Zaria, and Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.
“These hospitals offer their services to the generality of mankind and should be supported in whichever way possible to enhance quality service delivery and make healthcare more accessible and affordable,” he noted.
The statement further revealed that the partnership will include the training of technical personnel on equipment operation and maintenance.
“This is to ensure that challenges are immediately tackled without waiting for manufacturers to intervene,” Abdullahi added, stressing that optimal performance of healthcare facilities would reduce the frequency of Nigerians travelling abroad for medical treatment and boost the local economy.
Earlier, Dr. Isa Nurudeen explained that the hospital’s greatest challenge was energy supply, particularly for its newly donated MRI machine.
“For the machine to operate optimally, it needs to run 24 hours continuously on electricity, which is costly and beyond what the hospital can afford given the high cost of power and diesel,” he said, appealing for sustainable energy solutions.
