EMIR of Dass in Bauchi State, Alhaji Usman Bilyaminu Othman, has urged members of an NGO based in the state, Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD) on the need for the public to always seek orthodox healthcare services in the facility closest to them.
Othman, who stated this at his Palace in Dass when members of J4PD paid him a courtesy call, said that’s the only way to improve on the negative health indices associated with the state.
The Emir, who also doubles as the Chairman of the Bauchi Emirate Councils Committee on Health (BASECCOH), further said that “The State Government is doing everything within its limited resources to see that healthcare services, especially in the rural areas, are enhanced. This can be seen through the supply of drugs, medical consumables, and renovations and upgrading of healthcare facilities across the State.
“Also, development partners in healthcare sectors are complementing government efforts in creating an enabling environment for citizens to access healthcare services within their immediate environment.”
“So, you can see that on the supply side of healthcare services, the State Government is trying its best. What is left now is for the citizens, especially those in the rural areas, to cultivate the habit of accessing these services ‘, said Othman.
Earlier in her remarks, the Coordinator of J4PD, Elizabeth Kah, said they were in the palace to pay homage to the Emir and also intimate him with the activities of J4PD that cut across Public Health, Good Governance, Education, Environment, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and other developmental areas that have a direct bearing on the lives of people in Bauchi State.
She informed the Emir that part of J4PD’s area of competence involves carrying out evidence-based advocacy through editorial reports and interfacing with the target audience.