By Bashir Bello, Abuja
Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has officially launched a Sickle Cell Centre to provide comprehensive care and treatment for people living with sickle cell disease in the state.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Governor’s Spokesman, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, on Monday.
Governor Yusuf also flagged off the symbolic distribution of free maternal and Accident & Emergency commodities, new hospital bed sheets, and 300 customised digital blood pressure monitors at Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital.
The governor said the Sickle Cell Centre would offer free diagnosis, counselling, treatment, follow-up care, patient education, health promotion, and specialised management of sickle cell disease under one roof.
He assured patients of his administration’s unwavering commitment to providing adequate medicines and other essential support aimed at improving their health and wellbeing.
Governor Yusuf explained that the decision to procure and distribute 300 customised digital blood pressure monitors to public servants and political appointees followed growing concerns over sudden deaths linked to hypertension, noting that the initiative would encourage regular health checks and promote a healthier workforce.
The governor reaffirmed that the free maternal and Accident & Emergency commodities programme had already saved thousands of lives across the state and pledged to sustain the intervention.
He commended the Commissioner for Health, the management of the Hospital Management Board, healthcare workers, traditional rulers, and development partners for their collective efforts in transforming the state’s healthcare sector.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar, described Governor Yusuf as a leader committed to improving the health of Kano residents, noting that healthcare facilities had witnessed remarkable upgrades since the administration came into office.
He disclosed that maternal mortality had dropped significantly under the present administration, from over 1,300 recorded cases in 2023 to about 300 in 2026.
The Executive Secretary of the Hospital Management Board, Dr. Mansur Nagoda, said the governor’s intervention would benefit thousands of residents, adding that the Abba Gida-Gida administration had transformed the health sector to an unprecedented level.
