Plateau revitalises 105 PHCs, upgrades two to cottage hospitals

The Plateau State government says it has revitalised 105 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) and upgraded two facilities to cottage hospitals as part of efforts to improve access to healthcare, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

The Commissioner for Health, Nicholas Ba’amlong, disclosed this on Tuesday at the 12th Plateau Council on Health meeting in Jos, the state capital.

Mr Ba’amlong said the improvements involved upgrading infrastructure, providing medical equipment and strengthening the healthcare workforce to expand access to essential health services.

He identified the upgraded facilities as Tudun Wada in Jos North Local Government Area and another facility in Wase Local Government Area.

According to him, the Tudun Wada cottage hospital has been commissioned and is operational, while the Wase facility is awaiting commissioning.

The commissioner said the interventions built on resolutions reached at the 11th council meeting in 2025, which focused on strengthening the state’s healthcare system in line with national priorities.

Healthcare workforce and insurance coverage

Mr Ba’amlong added that the government had strengthened the healthcare workforce following Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s approval for the recruitment of 1,300 healthcare workers across the state’s health sector.

He explained that 1,050 recruits were earmarked for PHCs, while 150 were designated for the Primary Healthcare Board to improve service delivery.

The commissioner further disclosed that healthcare workers had received training, while continuous workforce development remained ongoing to enhance professional competence and improve healthcare delivery across Plateau communities.

He revealed that enrolment in the Plateau State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (PLASCHEMA) had risen to 320,000, helping reduce out-of-pocket expenditure and expand access to healthcare services.

Mr Ba’amlong also said that the state had developed an action plan to strengthen disease surveillance and improve data reporting for more effective health planning and responses.

He expressed optimism that the 12th council meeting would strengthen the healthcare system, promote efficient service delivery and establish future priorities for healthcare policies, programmes and reforms across Plateau.

Declaring the meeting open, Governor Mutfwang, represented by his deputy Josephine Piyo, reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to ensuring accessible healthcare for all residents, regardless of their circumstances.

He emphasised that healthcare should be considered a right rather than a privilege, pledging continued investment in PHCs revitalisation across the state’s 17 LGAs.

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He reiterated the administration’s aim to ensure every federal and state ward had a functional, adequately staffed and properly equipped primary healthcare facility serving its population.

The governor pledged to expand health insurance enrolment, particularly among indigent and vulnerable residents, to ensure financial difficulties did not prevent people from accessing necessary medical care.

He further announced plans to recruit additional healthcare workers, while training opportunities and improved welfare packages would strengthen workforce capacity and support better patient care.

Mr Mutfwang stated that secondary and tertiary facilities were also undergoing improvements, including equipment upgrades, digitalisation of medical records and stronger emergency response systems to enhance healthcare services.

He revealed that Plateau State Specialist Hospital was being upgraded to serve as a teaching hospital for Plateau State University’s College of Health Sciences, requiring additional infrastructure, personnel and equipment.

The governor called for stronger partnerships with federal health authorities, development partners, nongovernmental organisations and the private sector, stressing that practical resolutions should guide healthcare policies, budgets and reforms.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that JUTH Chief Medical Director, Pokop Bupwatda, delivered the keynote address with the theme “From Policy to People: Consolidating Quality Universal Health Coverage and Health Security on the Plateau”. (NAN)