No fewer than 4.5 million patients had accessed healthcare services in Jigawa in 2017, Dr Kabir Ibrahim, the Executive Secretary, State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, has said.
Ibrahim told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Thursday that the patients accessed healthcare services in 663 health facilities across the state.
The official said the figure indicates significant increase of up to 1.1 million patients in the number of residents who visited hospitals to seek healthcare services in the state.
The executive secretary attributed the increase to massive public awareness conducted by the agency on the importance of residents to patronise health facilities to treat any form of ailment.
“We are happy that both citizens and residents of the state answered our call to visit hospital whenever they fall sick.
“This is because in 2016, 3.4 million people visited hospital to seek for medication for one sickness or the other, while in 2017 the number increased to 4.5 million,” the executive secretary said.
According to him, in 2016, 222,000 pregnant women attended Antenatal Clinics, while in 2017, the numbers increased to 262,000.
Ibrahim added that while in 2016, 104,000 pregnant women delivered in hospitals, the number had gone up to 125,000 in 2017.
The official commended the residents “for seeking healthcare through the right channel’’, adding that the provision of more health facilities by the state government facilitated the increase in patronage.
He advised other residents to desist from self medication and patronise hospitals for proper medical care.
The executive secretary said such attitude would “reduce maternal and child mortality, particularly in rural areas.
Ibrahim stressed that the government has taken healthcare services to the doorsteps of residents across the state.