The qualitative health care delivery policy of the Kwara State government received a boost with the distribution of 13 new ambulances to 13 specialist and general hospitals across the state as well as the distribution of hospital equipment and roll back malaria drugs to 43 primary health centres across the state.

Speaking at the occasion, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed said the ambulances and drugs were purchased in fulfilment of his administration’s commitment to strengthening of health care delivery in the state.

Governor Ahmed recalled that the state government in 2011 purchased and distributed anti-malaria drugs worth N47 million and Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits worth over N11.3 million

He added that about two million long-lasting insecticidal nets have been distributed to households in the state as part of the efforts to strengthen the anti-malaria campaign in the state.

The governor assured the people of Kwara that when the five general hospitals in Ilorin, Share, Offa, Kaiama and Omu-Aran, currently undergoing remodeling and three new general hospitals billed for local government areas without secondary health institutions were completed, the capacity of the state’s health care delivery system to cope with malaria and other life threatening diseases and ailments would be strengthened.

According to Governor Ahmed, his administration “remains committed to achieving our policy thrust of 500-metre accessibility to quality health care within the shortest possible time by strengthening health care systems at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

He acknowledged the positive contributions of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) office, Abuja, Federal Ministry of Finance and the National Malaria Control Programme, as well as development partners such as Global Fund for collaborating with the state government in creating wider accessibility to quality health care to the people of the state.

The Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Kayode Abdul Issa gave an assurance that measures have been put in place for proper maintenance of the ambulance and hospital equipment for better services to the people of the state better.

He described the distribution of the ambulances, hospital equipment and anti-malaria drugs as the restoration of hopes of the common man in the public health system in the state.