Kano: Sen. Barau commissions major healthcare projects says medical tourism will soon end

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, has expressed optimism that Nigeria will soon end the era of medical tourism with the massive investment currently going into the country’s health sector.

Senator Barau said this on Sunday when he inspected seven major healthcare projects he facilitated at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) in Kano State.

He said the projects were part of efforts to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on strengthening healthcare delivery across the country.

The projects include the construction and equipping of a cardiothoracic centre, construction of roads at the College of Health Sciences (BUK premises), construction of a students’ hostel at the College of Nursing Sciences, interlocking works at the Department of Radiology, interlocking of the S. S. Wali Centre, interlocking of the Speciality Clinic Annexe, and the construction and equipping of a paediatrics complex, as well as new classrooms and offices at the School of Health Information Management (SHIM).

Speaking after inspecting the projects, Senator Barau said; “What we are doing now to further develop this institution into an advanced, specialised hospital is in line with the President’s vision. When I met President Tinubu, he made it clear that one of his major priorities is to ensure a sound healthcare delivery system at a specialised level.”

The Deputy Senate President said the current administration’s investment in hospitals like AKTH would soon eliminate the need for Nigerians to travel abroad for treatment.

“What we are witnessing in terms of medical tourism will soon stop with the right investment in our health sector. We already have the human resources and expertise to make our hospitals capable of handling complex medical procedures,” he added.

Senator Barau noted that the National Assembly will continue to enact laws and provide oversight to ensure the executive delivers on its health sector reforms.

“We are all working under the same family of Mr. President. What you see today is just the beginning. We shall continue to support AKTH until it becomes the best teaching hospital not only in Nigeria but in West Africa,” he said.

The Chief Medical Director of AKTH, Professor Abdurrahman Abba Sheshe, praised Senator Barau for his commitment to improving the hospital’s infrastructure.

“The Deputy President of the has continued to show genuine interest in the development of AKTH. His intervention has made us one of the most equipped teaching hospitals in the country,” he said.

Also speaking, the Vice Chancellor of Bayero University Kano (BUK), Professor Haruna Musa, expressed the institution’s gratitude to the Senator.

“In just two months of my tenure as Vice Chancellor, Senator Barau has brought two mega projects to BUK. We truly appreciate his dedication to education and health development,” he said.

Barau was accompanied on the inspection tour by four Senators; Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream); Senator Muntari Dandutse, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund; Senator Babangida Hussaini, Chairman of the Senate Committee on North West Development Commission; and Senator Abdulhamid Malam-Madori, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs.