Newly inaugurated administration of Governor Umar Abdullahi Ganduje has awarded a contract amounting to N730 million for the construction of a 52-bed ward at Muhammadu Buhari Specialist Hospital in the state capital.
The project is a storey building, which will also consist of nurses’ quarters, offices, a restaurant and restrooms, among other facilities.
A statement issued by Ameen K Yasser, director-general, media and publicity to the Governor, made this disclosure as the governor was inspecting the facility, saying the project was to ensure maximum convenience for patients, especially for cancer patients from within and outside the state.
“The cancer centre and the adjoining the ward will be linked by a passageway as part of our broad vision to provide world-class treatment of cancer in Kano,” the governor stated.
Ganduje revealed that the project would be completed within the next 4 – 5 months and would enhance the status of the hospital, which has started setting the pace in terms of providing quality medical services.
“I am happy to note that this hospital has conducted the first brain surgery to be conducted by any state-owned hospital in this part of the country. The hospital also conducted a successful but complicated spinal surgery on one patient and this is just the beginning,” he said.
Speaking on the cancer centre, the governor, who also inspected the site, stated that contract for the project had also been awarded, saying the work would commence next week.
“The project was conceived as a result of my visit to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Australia, one of the world’s leading cancer research, education and treatment centres,” the governor said.
He said his administration decided to have a cancer centre modelled after the Australian cancer centre in terms of capacity, in view of the number of cancer patients in this part of the country who cannot get affordable and qualitative medical services.
“Already, we have an Italian engineer who is here to supervise the construction of the two radiation bunkers. The project will start next week and as you can see that some of the heavy plants for the work have been mobilised to site,” he said.
