No plan to privatise specialist hospital – Commissioner

The Adamawa Government has dismissed speculations of an alleged plan by the State Government to privatise the Specialist Hospital in Yola.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Fatima Atiku, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Sunday in Yola that the rumour was unfounded.

She however noted that the speculation followed the recent signing of the law establishing the hospital by Gov. Muhammadu Bindow.

Atiku explained that the measure taken by the governor was in line with the declaration of state of emergency on the health sector by the administration which has embarked on rehabilitation of some hospitals across the state.

The commissioner regretted the specialist hospital meant to be a referral centre had not seen any major rehabilitation since its establishment in 1958.

She explained that the law would enable the hospital be in position to source for fund through banks to financed its upgrading in view of the state’s lean purse.

“So, government decided to go into Public Private Partnership with Bank of Infrastructure to finance the project which at the end will put the hospital in a better position to deliver quality services.

“The development has nothing to do with privatisation as being speculated,” she said.

Atiku said the state was also making effort to actualise the Adamawa State Health Insurance Scheme (ASHIS) to facilitate citizens access to affordable and quality healthcare services in centres like the specialist hospital.