Yusuf Abba Kabir

Health section

State Healthcare System. Strengthen the healthcare system to function as a social service to the teaming population through review of the Health Information System (HMIS) to generate and manage reliable data for effective decision making, revamp the Human Resource for Health Management (HRM) and review where necessary the Health System Policy and Planning.

Recruitment of Human Resources for Health. Recruit additional human resources for health such as medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses, laboratory, community health and environmental health practitioners to boost the health sector manpower and be able to provide more access to quality healthcare services. We would absorb all the 200 medical doctors (140 female and 60 males), 100 pharmacists and the over 300 nurses already trained by the Kwankwasiyya administration (2011-2015).

Mobile Clinics and Ambulance Services. Using a multi-stakeholder approach, reintroduce the mobile clinic services already initiated by the Kwankwasiyya administration to increase access to healthcare services, especially in rural areas. Also, provide an adequate emergency ambulance system that will deliver 24hour service while leveraging National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) to save more lives.

Free Maternal and Child Health (MNCH) Programme. Reinvigorate free maternal and child healthcare, nutrition and immunization programmes in the state through additional funding and prompt releases of the approved budget for effective implementation.

Involvement of Renowned Health Professionals. Design a strategy to attract capable professionals in the health sector within and outside the country including Kano indigenes in the diaspora to render pro-bono services to enhance the delivery of healthcare through direct involvement or training and reorientation of state health personnel in different specialities.

Health Equipment and Maintenance. Equip and maintain health facilities with state-of-the-art medical tools to provide quality services at hospitals and other diagnostic centres in the state.

Promote Cleanness in Our Hospitals. Introduce annual sanitation and hygiene award for best-performing healthcare facilities with the highest adoption of cleanliness and sanitation standards to ensure a patient-friendly environment.

Kano Centre of Disease Control (KCDC). Facilitate the establishment of a full pledge Kano Centre for Disease Control (KCDC) to manage current health threats, mitigate disease outbreaks and emerging epidemics such as Polio, Measles, Yellow fever, Corona Virus, Avian Influenza, Ebola, and Lassa fever among others.

Contributory Health Scheme. Review the regulatory functions of the Kano State Contributory Health Management Agency (KACHMA) to ensure value for money in terms of access to services by the contributors and ensure accountability in the process.

Regulation of Private Health Institutions. Strengthen the regulatory functions of the Kano Private Health Institution Management Agency (PHIMA) to safeguard and manage risk for people accessing healthcare services in private facilities and also ensure that the private institution’s facilities meet the minimum standard.

Primary Healthcare Service. The administration would move towards achieving primary healthcare under one roof which is a national target and we will focus on preventive healthcare to reduce the burden of zero dose and unimmunized children. The re-emergence of polio and measles cases in Kano due to the negligence of the current administration that was handed over the state as polio-free had drawn our attention to reawaken the primary healthcare sub-sector.

Health Financing. We will critically examine the current Health Trust Fund Law and the structure in place to make it function effectively as a major internal health financing body. Attention would be given to enforcing prompt releases of the health budget which has been one of the tough challenges.

Special Public Health Interventions The state would pay attention to specialized diseases that are prevalent in the state such as Malaria, Tuberculosis, Leprosy, Sickle Cell and Glaucoma.

Partnership and Donor Coordination in the Health Sector. Encourage innovation for Public Private Partnership (PPP) and donor coordination in the health sector to diversify health financing options as complementary to the state expenditure and effective service delivery.

Private Investment in the Health Sector. Create enabling environment to attract investment into the health sector to increase access and affordability and provide options for health seekers to reduce medical tourism.

Drugs Supply and Manufacturing. Strengthen the Kano State Drugs and Medical Consumables Supply Agency (DMCA) to attract foreign and local investments in drugs and consumables manufacturing in Kano for competitive prices and increase access to quality and affordable pharmaceuticals in the state.

The State Cancer Centre. Facilitate immediate takeoff of the Kano Cancer Centre (KCC) by making available the required equipment and deployment of personnel to ensure that the centre is operational and can provide services to victims of cancer within and outside the state. Despite spending much time and a huge amount of money by the current administration, the cancer centre project has not made any significant progress due to corruption.

Renovation of Major Hospital in the State. Undertake serious renovation of all secondary and tertiary health facilities in the state to give them a facelift and instil confidence into the minds of caregivers and frontline health workers to operate in a conducive atmosphere while serving the patients optimally.

Doctors’ Residency Training and Support for Medical Students. Our administration would re-introduce the full sponsorship of residency training for interested medical doctors working with the state government to ensure career development and availability of specialists in various aspects of medical practice and minimize brain drain. Support all indigent medical students under a prescribed bond to guarantee sustainability in attracting and retaining enough medical personnel for the state.

Questions to ask Yusuf Abba Kabir

1. Which specific elements of the Health Management Information System will be overhauled, and what unit will be responsible for delivering an upgraded HMIS statewide?
2. Where will the additional state university be located, what is the phasing plan for the listed specialised programmes, and what is your roadmap to secure NUC approvals and staffing before first intake?
3. By when will the absorption of the 200 medical doctors, 100 pharmacists, and 300+ nurses be completed, and what is the phased schedule for their posting?
4. What is the estimated capital and recurrent budget to establish and run the additional state university in its first five years, and how much of this will be state-funded versus PPP, grants, or fees?
5. What is the annual recurrent budget required to pay salaries and allowances for the newly recruited health workers, and from which line items will this be funded?
6. You target basic literacy and numeracy for at least one million people each year—what is the definition of ‘achieved literacy’ for this programme, how will beneficiaries be verified and tracked, and what independent mechanism will validate the annual numbers?
7. What service-level targets (for example, average emergency response time, coverage per LGA, number of operational units) will you set for the 24-hour ambulance and mobile clinic services?
8. Which specific MNCH services will be free, who is eligible, and what indicators will you use to track uptake and outcomes?
9. What governance or legal framework will establish the Kano Centre for Disease Control, and how will its mandate avoid duplication with the National Centre for Disease Control?
10. What are the capital and recurrent cost estimates for establishing and running the Kano Centre for Disease Control, and how will these be financed?
11. What is the annual cost and number of slots for doctor residency sponsorships and indigent medical student support, and how will the bond terms ensure service return without deterring applicants?