ZUL-QA’ADAH 22 1430 A.H.
TUESDAY NOVEMBER . 10 2009.
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Kiru's mida’s touch in healthcare delivery
By AHMAD MUNGA JALINGO
(ahmadmunga@yahoo.com)
"If free healthcare is not available, definitely the costs of treatment will not be affordable by the common man and this would consequently lead to further spread of preventable diseases and even premature deaths." --- Prof. M. Naobi
MALAMA Aisha Isyaku Kiru, the incumbent Kano state commissioner for health is a woman of substance. Her leadership attributes, coupled with her unique sense of hard work and dedication are the hallmark of a proper upbringing. Malama Kiru's engagement with the health sector was not a happenstance. Even before her appointment by the Shekarau administration to head the ministry of health, she has worked at Bayero University Kano (BUK), in the faculty of medicine since 1990. By the year 2000, Malama Aisha, herself a graduate of medicine has risen to the post of a senior lecturer at the same university.
A year later, after her promotion, she went to University of Surrey, under a Chevening Fellowship Award, where she studied Toxicology and she was one of the seven Nigerians chosen for the Africa Future Leaders Programme. By historical exigencies, prior to her commissionership appointment, the former faculty of medicine senior lecturer was actively involved in the NGO movement; founding the Forum for Environmental Protection, since 1993.
Malama Aisha Kiru was blessed with the rare privilege of being educated at some of the best tertiary institutions in Nigeria and abroad. In 1998, she successfully attended a programme in Management for Participatory Development at the University of Birmingham, UK.
Ever since she was appointed health commissioner by the incumbent administration, Malama Kiru left no one in doubt that she was indeed capable to the task of transforming the healthcare sector in the state. Apart from the fact that, more hospitals and health dispensaries were constructed during her tenure, with corresponding number of medical doctors and sundry healthcare personnel employed by the state government, the health ministry has equally initiated several schemes with the basic objective of improving the healthcare delivery system in the state.
According to reliable sources at the Kano state ministry of health, the commissioner was very instrumental on the establishment of the prestigious Abubakar Imam Urology Hospital, unarguably the first of its kind in the whole of West African sub-region. Similarly, it was believed that Malama Kiru played a very important role in the establishment of the multi-billion Naira Pediatric Hospital at Zoo road, Kano, also said to be the first of its kind in Nigeria, and which is presently under construction.
Moreover, the state ministry of health has successfully made adequate provision of healthcare equipment and machineries to the major public hospitals across the state, while genuine medicaments were provided at highly subsidized rates, in some cases – free with the view to curtail health hazards and ensure that ordinary people, especially rural dwellers have access to quality healthcare services.
Consequently, the state ministry of health has expended no fewer than N800 million for procurement of drugs and distribution to the various public hospitals within the municipality and among those at the rural areas. It is however instructive to note that, the drugs revolving loan scheme, as introduced by the ministry has tremendously helped people not only in buying medicines that were of high quality, but also made these drugs available at the right channels.
But one major area in which Malama Aisha Kiru made a significant, positive impact as the health commissioner is the successful reduction of the phenomenal maternal mortality rate in the state. For over two consecutive years, the commissioner had been running from pillar to posts – conducting surveys on the causative factors for maternal mortality, while several workshops and seminars were conducted under the auspices of the health ministry. Moreover, the ministry in conjunction with both local and international NGOs like WHO and UNICEF organized various manpower development programmes for health personnel with the view to improving their productivity.
Furthermore, in line with the state government policy objectives, Malama Kiru spearheaded the promotion of preventive healthcare services through primary healthcare services that ensures adequate funding for capacity building of the health sector. At any public event that she was invited to speak, the health commissioner has made it a point of duty to sensitize the public on major factors responsible for the high rate of the killer diseases among children and pregnant women (maternal and infant mortality) in Northern Nigeria and proffered solution to the phenomenon.
Perhaps to underscore her sincere commitment to the on-going health sector reform, the commissioner made sure that all projects under the state ministry of health are not only completed on schedule but also made sure they meet the standard requirements. Malama Kiru's knack for practical inspection of projects, most of the times unscheduled visits to construction sites has always been an inspiration and reference point in good leadership.
For instance, early last October, the health commissioner, accompanied by some top officials at the ministry, undertook a project inspection tour to the Pediatric Hospital at Zoo road and Giginyu Specialist Hospital, both under construction. While at Zoo road, Malama Kiru expressed satisfaction by the level of work there, saying in spite of some problems encountered at the initial stage, the contractors were able to make tremendous progress within only four months of commencement of the project.But at Giginyu, the commissioner rebuked the contractor handling project over what she described as slow pace of the contractor and warned the contractor to speed up and finish on time.
Such is only but one out of the many examples of how practical and ever committed the Kano health commissioner is in discharging her statutory functions. In fact, according to sources at the ministry, the commissioner is so committed and untiringly dedicated to the task at hand that she hardly find time for personal engagements. For her, leadership at all levels entails the capacity to lead in terms of influencing others towards improving the socio-economic well being of the followers. That is her philosophy on good, effective leadership.
A very shy and reserved personality, a closer profile of this honourable woman of substance reveals the portrait of a silent, even systematic achiever. Her principled stance on any topical issue remains consistent, unshaken. What is more, Malama Aisha Kiru, apart from successfully reaching the pinnacle of her career in both academic as well as public administration, her active participation in and her immense contributions to the development of the healthcare sector have all but combined to portray the picture of an accomplished administrator; a scarf among the turbans!
The Kano health commissioner, by virtue of her position in the Shekarau administration as a cabinet member has made it a point of duty to educate the general public about government's commitment to attaining the goal of making health services accessible to all citizens. According to her, the Kano state government is desirous to create a healthcare services that will permit individuals to lead longer, happy, socially and economically productive lives.
She said, "presently, the rising cost of healthcare provision, coupled with reduced allocation of resources has resulted in unsatisfactory performance in the sector. These shortcomings were exemplified by dilapidated infrastructure and lack of equipment and materials at most of our major public hospitals. And the Shekarau administration, having studied the poor supply of drugs and vaccines and ineffective managerial system decided to pursue a comprehensive reform of the healthcare service delivery. That's why the government decided to tackle such problems as inadequate essential services such as laboratories, x-ray equipment and blood banks to carter for the teeming majority of the people, especially the rural dwellers in the state."
Having taken note of the acute shortage of trained healthcare providers like doctors, nurses, midwives, traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and other trained health workers, the health ministry made it mandatory for them to undergo certain basic training programmes in various institutions, at home and abroad, with the view to improving their services and productivity to the general public. This, according to the commissioner is part of the state government's policy on human capital development.
Moreover, pursuant to the administration's objective to reduce maternal mortality rate, the health ministry has made adequate arrangements to ensure free access to healthcare services for pregnant women, while an exhaustive media campaign was embarked upon by the ministry to sensitize the general public on the necessity for children immunization against the six child killer diseases. As a result of these strategies, however, the maternal mortality rate in Kano state has drastically reduced to about 60%, while the infant mortality rate has equally decreased by 20% in the last four years. Accordingly, the successful reduction of both maternal and infant mortality in the state, within the period under review, is attributable to the commissioner's indefatigable commitment in providing access for all women and children to basic healthcare delivery.
Another area in which remarkable impact was made by the ministry is the strategic procurement and distribution of quality drugs to the various public hospitals across the state. Thanks to the drugs revolving loan scheme initiated by the health ministry; the scheme has successfully minimized the 'out of stock syndrome' in virtually all public hospitals, while response time to emergency calls and treatment was tremendously improved accordingly.
Analysts and stakeholders in the health sector were of the view that the numerous successes and achievements recorded by the ministry were the result of the commissioner's foresight, hard work and dedication in the implementation of the state government's healthcare policy objectives. Malama Kiru made sure that all existing health facilities in the state were either expanded, upgraded or rehabilitated with the view to meet the required medical standard.
What is more, ever since assumption in office as the commissioner for health, Malama Kiru has been busy, proactive in mobilizing and encouraging the private sector and community inputs into healthcare financing for the provision of infrastructures in the health sector. The commissioner was also instructive in the promotion of preventive healthcare services through improved primary healthcare that ensures adequate funding for capacity building of the personnel in the health sector.
At a recent inspection visit to Noma Children Hospital in Sokoto, where she monitored progress of the 50 patients sent by the state government to undergo various surgery operations, the Kano state health commissioner was quoted as saying that, over 7, 500 Noma patients have so far been treated – free – by the state government.
Kiru further explained that, apart from the provision of free transportation by the state government, the present administration has also provided N5, 000 token to each sponsored patient. In order to appreciate the administration's policy on capacity building through manpower development, the health commissioner said now minor cases of Noma and related diseases are being treated at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano, by doctors and nurses who have undergone specialist training at Noma Children Hospital in Sokoto.
To be honest and to state the obvious, the good people of Kano state have never had it better in terms of quality healthcare service provision. The health sector has undergone tremendous reforms with the construction of new, additional hospitals and renovation of old, existing ones, while as many health personnel as possible were employed by the state government to ensure quality healthcare delivery. Drugs which were hitherto very expensive at private drugs stores were made available by the ministry to the people at subsidized rates.
Respect and honour, they say, should be given to whom it is due. And this perhaps explains the reason why an overwhelming majority of people in Kano have at various occasions expressed delight over the Amazonic health commissioner`s genuine concern for the less privilege and unanimously commended her untiring efforts to make a difference.
Through the excellent performance of Malama Aisha Kiru, the health commissioner, the good and proud people of Kano have seen and appreciated the sincere commitment of the Shekarau administration towards provision of quality healthcare delivery services in the state. In deed, words and action, the woman of substance has proved a good, worthy ambassador of the administration.
Please keep it up!
Ahmad Munga Jalingo writes from Hausawa Qtrs, Zoo road, Kano and can be reached through his e-mail: ahmadmunga@yahoo.com or GSM 07028092578, 08035083040
