Zamfara govt set to construct chil-care centers in all 14 LG areas

The Zamfara government is to construct a maternal and child-care centre in each of its 14 local government areas to improve the well being of women and children in the state, its Commissioner of Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Birnin-Magaji, has said.

Birnin-Magaji  said on Monday in Gusau that the facilities would be jointly funded by the state government and Bill Gates Foundation at the cost of N160 million.

He disclosed that while Bill Gates Foundation was providing the sum of N110 million, the state government would provide the balance of N50 million as well as the staff that would run the centers.

He said, already, local government councils had been directed to secure lands for the centres and that such lands should be situated in selected villages other than the local government headquarters.

He said the selected villages must also be surrounded by other villages that would raise up to 5,000 households.

He said, a technical committee had been set up by the state government comprising seven professional including health personel, NGO and surveyors to identify the proposed location of each center as well as create awareness among the rural dwellers over the importance of the project so that they would take advantage of the facilities when they finally take-off.

He said during the technical committee tour of the state, the members being headed by the project focal person, Dr. Nasiru Bakura would also be providing training to Traditional Birth Attendants (TAs) in modern techniques of child delivery.

The commissioner who said the project would soon take-off, explained that apart from the structures, the centers would be fully fitted with labour room, male and female wards, consulting room, beds and beddings, drugs, boreholes for clean water and tri-cycle ambulances.

He however said, where there were existing structures, such structures would be fully renovated and expanded to meet up with the required specifications.

On the issue of staffing, the commissioner said, already, the staff that would run the centres had been identified and that they would resume work immediately the projects were completed.