From Tongnaan Bawa Jos
Plateau State Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to expanding access to quality healthcare, announcing the upgrading of 105 primary healthcare centres and the expansion of health insurance coverage to approximately 320,000 residents.
The governor, who spoke at the opening of the 12th Plateau State Council on Health in Jos, identified primary healthcare, affordable health insurance, improved hospital services and the welfare of health workers as key priorities in the state’s healthcare reform agenda.
Mutfwang described healthcare as a fundamental right, stressing that every resident should have access to quality medical services regardless of financial status.
While acknowledging progress in immunisation, disease surveillance and healthcare infrastructure, he identified inadequate staffing, maternal and child health challenges, rising non-communicable diseases, insecurity and funding gaps as major obstacles to effective healthcare delivery.
He pledged to strengthen primary healthcare facilities across the 17 local government areas, expand insurance coverage for vulnerable residents and improve secondary and tertiary healthcare services.
The governor also disclosed that the Plateau State Specialist Hospital was being upgraded to serve as a teaching hospital for Plateau State University’s College of Health Sciences.
He called for sustainable healthcare financing, stronger partnerships, improved health data management and effective emergency response systems to strengthen the state’s health sector.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Ba’amlong, disclosed that the governor had approved the recruitment of approximately 1,300 health workers, comprising 1,150 personnel for primary healthcare facilities and 150 for the Hospitals Management Board.
Ba’amlong also announced the approval of the conversion of primary healthcare centres in Tudun Wada and Wase into cottage hospitals.
He said the Tudun Wada facility had been commissioned and was operational, while preparations were ongoing to commission the Wase facility.
According to him, enrolment under the Plateau State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency increased from fewer than 100,000 beneficiaries in May 2023 to approximately 320,000 as of September 2026.
He said the agency had established offices across all 17 local government areas to expand access to health insurance and reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses, particularly for vulnerable residents.
The commissioner further disclosed that Plateau State ranked fifth in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s second-quarter performance assessment after meeting four of the five key indicators.
On disease control, Ba’amlong said the state was strengthening surveillance and emergency response measures against Lassa fever, cholera and diphtheria. He added that no diphtheria-related deaths had been recorded in the two weeks preceding his address.
The three-day council, which ends on October 22, is being held under the theme, “From Policy to People: Consolidating Quality Universal Health Coverage and Health Security on the Plateau.”
Stakeholders are expected to review existing health policies and develop strategies to expand universal health coverage, improve healthcare delivery and strengthen public health security across the state.