By: Ojo Sola
The Kaduna State government has announced the establishment of three oxygen plants across the state as a part of a broader strategy to strengthen the health system.
The Honourable Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma K. Ahmed, disclosed this on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, during a press conference to commemorate World Health Day 2026 in Kaduna.
Ahmed said the state has established three oxygen plants to ensure uninterrupted access to life-saving oxygen in health facilities, while also prioritising long-term sustainability through dedicated budgetary provisions and personnel training.
According to her, Kaduna is taking a different approach by ensuring that health investments do not collapse after initial support from development partners.
“We are not going to wait for partners to continue establishing these plants for us all the time.
“Whenever partners support us, we deliberately plan in subsequent budgets to upgrade, improve, and expand on those investments,” she said.
She added that the state government is already making plans to establish additional oxygen plants, noting that sustainability remains a key priority.
“We don’t allow critical infrastructure to die. We ensure there is a clear plan for sustainability from the beginning,” she stated.
Beyond oxygen supply, the commissioner highlighted major achievements recorded under the administration of Governor Uba Sani, describing the state’s approach as “science-led governance for a healthier society.”
She said Kaduna has upgraded and revitalised 255 Primary Healthcare Centres across its 23 Local Government Areas and rehabilitated 15 secondary health facilities to improve access to quality care.
Ahmed also noted that the state constructed a 300-bed Specialist Hospital and, in partnership with UNICEF, established a Level 2 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to reduce preventable newborn deaths.
On medical supply systems, she revealed that the government developed a 1,600-square-metre pharma-grade warehouse with a capacity of 8,000 cubic metres, alongside two additional storage facilities to ensure the safe handling of medicines.
The commissioner further disclosed that Kaduna has addressed workforce challenges by implementing full CONMESS and CONHESS salary structures and recruiting 1,800 healthcare workers, with plans for sustained annual recruitment.
In the area of health financing, she said the state has consistently allocated over 15 percent of its budget to health, in line with the Abuja Declaration, while enrolling over 761,000 residents in its health insurance scheme, including more than 100,000 vulnerable persons covered free of charge.
Ahmed stated that these interventions have contributed to improvements in maternal and neonatal health outcomes, with more women accessing skilled delivery services and newborns receiving specialised care.
She added that Kaduna’s efforts have attracted both national and international recognition, including awards in supply chain management, disease surveillance, tuberculosis control, and performance under the World Bank-supported IMPACT project.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment, the commissioner said Kaduna would continue to expand universal health coverage, strengthen disease surveillance, invest in health workers, and leverage technology to improve service delivery.
“As we commemorate World Health Day, we remain focused on building a resilient, equitable, and sustainable health system that serves every citizen,” she said.(Gobroadsheet.wordpress.com)
