Dangote Foundation is expending over N7.2 billion in Northern Nigeria oldest General Hospital in Kano.
The management of the Foundation, established by Aliko Dangote, is at the moment spending over N200 million out of the amount in improving the sanitary condition of the public hospital.
While about N7 billion of the amount is being used to build a new ultra-modern surgical and diagnostic centre, expected to be commission by the end of this year.
Zouera Youssoufou, CEO of the Foundation, on Saturday, while speaking with BusinessDay on the sidelines of the commissioning ceremony of the six wards reconditioned at the maternity section, said the founder of the Foundation resolved to assist in reconditioning the wards as part of his commitment to improving the condition of the ordinary people.
Youssoufou said as part of the reconditioning, the Foundation also repaired the toilet infrastructure as well as the public water system impeding the functionality of the hospital.
“As you are aware the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, who is from Kano state, out his patriotic commitment of the less privileged people in the world is executing major infrastructural development projects in the hospital.
“What you just witnessed today was the commissioning of some of the projects recently completed. This includes the reconditioning of six wards at the Maternity Centre of the hospital.
“We resolved to embark on this project as a way of bringing relief to the huge number of patients using the wards when we discovered the poor state of the section of the hospital, and about N200 million is being expended on the project.
“You will also recall that the Foundation is building a three-storey ultra-modern surgical and diagnostic centre in the hospital. We are committing about N7 billion to the project,” she explained.
She expressed the commitment of the Dangote Foundation to the quick completion of the projects, and called on the management of the hospital to make judicious use of the facilities.
In his address, earlier, deputy governor of Kano State, Abubakar Hafiz, who represented the state governor at the ceremony, said the state government was deeply grateful to the initiator if the projects.
Hafiz decried the poor state of facilities at the hospital, which prompted the intervention of the Dangote Foundation, and the attributed the poor condition to several years of neglect.
According to Hafiz, the present administration in the state is currently doing everything possible to improve health facilities across the state with improved budget allocations.
Adeola Ajakaiye, Kano
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