By Zaharaddeen Ishaq Abubakar | Katsina Times
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has commissioned the newly upgraded General Hospital Charanchi and launched 238 tricycle ambulances and 18 Advanced Life Support Ambulances in Katsina State.
The projects were inaugurated on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, as part of the Katsina State Government’s efforts to expand access to healthcare services and strengthen emergency medical response across the state.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony in Charanchi Local Government Area, Prof. Pate commended Governor Dikko Umaru Radda’s administration for its investments in healthcare infrastructure, emergency response and health insurance coverage.
The minister said health insurance enrolment in the state had increased from about 350,000 beneficiaries in 2023 to nearly 600,000 in 2026.
He added that more than 184,000 new beneficiaries had been enrolled across the state’s 361 wards through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.
Pate said Katsina had demonstrated that commitment to counterpart financing and healthcare reforms could significantly improve access to healthcare.
He disclosed that the state government had provided ₦243 million in counterpart funding, urging other states to emulate the initiative.
The minister also announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had donated three additional ambulances to Katsina, increasing the number of Advanced Life Support Ambulances launched at the event from 15 to 18.
He further commended the state government’s response to the recent diphtheria outbreak and called on traditional, religious and community leaders to intensify advocacy for routine childhood vaccination.
Radda: 361 Wards to Benefit
Governor Radda said the healthcare interventions were designed to save lives, improve patient referrals and reduce delays in accessing medical services, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
He described the General Hospital Charanchi as one of six secondary healthcare facilities being established by his administration.
According to him, the hospital, formerly a Comprehensive Health Centre, has been upgraded to provide diagnostic, medical, surgical, maternity, emergency and other essential healthcare services to residents of Charanchi and neighbouring communities.
“Charanchi is the fourth of the six secondary healthcare facilities being established by this administration,” the governor said, adding that the general hospitals in Faskari and Mai’adua were at advanced stages and expected to be commissioned before the end of 2026.
At the primary healthcare level, Radda said more than 280 Comprehensive Primary Healthcare Centres had been renovated and revitalised, while work was ongoing on the remaining 80 facilities.
He said the government’s objective was to ensure that all 361 wards in the state had functional and upgraded primary healthcare facilities.
According to the governor, the centres are being equipped with staff quarters, healthcare personnel, water supply, solar power, basic medical equipment and tricycle ambulances to facilitate referrals to secondary healthcare facilities.
238 Tricycle Ambulances for 361 Wards
The Executive Secretary/State Coordinator of the Katsina State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System, Dr Adamu Saminu Adamu, said the 238 tricycle ambulances launched constituted the first batch of the 361 ambulances planned for the state’s 361 wards.
The Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Shema’u, said the ambulances would strengthen emergency referrals, particularly for pregnant women and other patients in hard-to-reach communities.
She said the initiative would contribute to efforts to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
Governor Radda also said the establishment of the Katsina State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System would strengthen emergency response and create a more effective referral network across the state.
Free Health Insurance for Vulnerable Groups
The governor disclosed that 20,000 inmates, 20,000 persons with disabilities and 50,000 personnel of the Katsina State Community Watch Corps and vigilante groups had been enrolled for free health insurance.
He said the initiative was aimed at expanding health coverage among vulnerable residents and personnel contributing to community security.
Radda also highlighted ongoing investments in hospital solarisation, pharmaceutical manufacturing and the development of a modern diagnostic and therapeutic imaging centre at Gash.
He said the state had invested in specialist medical equipment, including a 3.0 Tesla MRI machine, cancer treatment technology and modern equipment for specialist theatres and laboratories.
According to him, five patients had, for the first time in the state, successfully undergone pacemaker and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator procedures at Gash Hospital.
Government Recruits More Than 3,800 Health Workers
On healthcare manpower, Governor Radda said his administration had recruited more than 804 personnel for secondary healthcare facilities and about 3,000 workers for primary healthcare facilities over the past three years.
He added that postgraduate medical residency training had commenced in several departments, while doctors were being sponsored for postgraduate and subspecialisation programmes.
The governor said 41 medical students had also been sponsored to study medicine in Egypt, while other batches had been sent to Ethiopia and another group was being prepared for studies in Russia.
The Commissioner for Health, Hon. Musa Adamu, said the projects demonstrated the state government’s commitment to translating healthcare policies into practical interventions that directly benefit residents.
The event was attended by the Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Nasir Yahaya Daura; Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Muyi Aina; senior government officials, traditional leaders, local government chairmen, development partners, security officials and healthcare professionals.
Katsina Times — September 15, 2026
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