Kwara State Government is committed to providing high-quality healthcare to its citizen

Improved access to high quality healthcare for all citizens, with an emphasis on primary healthcare provision, is the stated goal of the Kwara State Government. At the same time, a major initiative has been launched to introduce a world-class Diagnostic Centre to the state, which will serve to centralize all procedures requiring laboratory tests, and to improve the performance of all health facilities.

One of the main targets in healthcare provision is to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of reducing maternal and child mortality with regard to malaria. In 2008, a state-wide campaign was launched which saw to the free distribution of insecticide-treated nets and free malaria drugs to pregnant mothers and to children under the age of five. This is an ongoing programme that is being expanded every year.  

Several general hospitals have been rehabilitated in Afon, Patigi, Lafiagi and Kaiama. Similar initiatives saw to improvements at primary health centres in Osi, Alapa, Rogun, Afon, Oju-Ekun, Omoda, Yashikira, 8anni and Araromi Opin. Sobi Specialist Hospital has been especially upgraded to train House Officers. 

The Community Health Insurance Scheme that was first rolled out in Shonga district in 2006 has been extended to Afon and Lafiagi to provide health-insurance cover to rural dwellers. Construction began in 2009 of the second phase of the Oke-Ode School of Nursing.     

Primary healthcare
The primary healthcare programme embraces all aspects of disease prevention and control through the state's epidemiology units. There are six divisions with 35 units serving all parts of the state. Many activities in the healthcare sector are sponsored by international agencies such as WHO, UNICEF; HYGEIA and others. 

Among the measures taken to improve the quality of primary healthcare in Kwara State are:

• Training and re-training of staff
• Provision of free drugs for under-five children and pregnant women
• Rehabilitation of hospitals and staff quarters
• Employment of qualified medical doctors and other health workers

The Kwara State Community Health Insurance Scheme mobilises community members to participate, and has the full involvement of the Kwara State Government in partnership with the HYGEIA organisation. The principal benefit for citizens is to receive subsidised treatment. The state government has been very active in the field of preventive medicine. Through targeted programmes it has distributed insecticide-treated nets, free drugs for under-five children and pregnant women, and seen to the distribution of Ivermectin and vitamin A supplement.   

Diagnostic Centre
The proposed new Diagnostic Centre is intended to serve all the citizens of Kwara State (be they primary, secondary or tertiary patients). Private healthcare patients will have access to the centre. The centre is conceived as a regional referral facility that will serve all the other states in the Nigerian federation.

The international partner already on board with the project, which is expected to come on stream in 2010, is MedeQuip Medical Services, a company specialising in these services from the United States of America. This company is providing the concept, intellectual capacity, management and oversight for technology transfer. Staff will be supplied by MedeOuip for the first four years of the centre's operation.

There is scope for further private investment in the project on the basis of public-private partnerships. It is estimated that the revenue potential of the centre could be as high as N10 miliion per month. Further private investment in the project would make it even more effective and would contribute to the continuity of the programmes.

Services that will be offered at the centre

• All special medical laboratory tests liver, renal and heart function
• Hormonal tests
• Infertility tests
• Haematology tests
• Histopathology tests
• Ultrasound scan
• X-ray tests
• Blood banking services
• Referral centre for all states medical laboratories