The Chief Medical Director of Kaduna State Rural Hospital, Zonkwa, Dr Ezekiel Kwasu, has urged the Kaduna State Government to upgrade the facility to a General Hospital, saying its current status can no longer meet the growing healthcare demands of residents in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area and neighbouring communities.
Kwasu made the appeal on Monday while receiving medical equipment and essential drugs donated to the hospital through the intervention of Comrade Danjuma Bello Sarki.
He said the hospital now caters for a rapidly expanding population and handles referrals from several surrounding communities despite operating with limited facilities and resources.
According to him, upgrading the hospital would improve access to quality healthcare, attract more medical personnel and enable the facility to manage specialised medical cases.
The medical director described the donation as timely and commended Bello Sarki for facilitating the intervention, saying it reflected a strong commitment to improving healthcare delivery in the area.
Speaking during the presentation, Bello Sarki said he sought support from the donor agency after identifying the hospital’s pressing challenges and the need to complement government efforts in the health sector.
He stressed that access to quality healthcare is a basic right and pledged to continue mobilising partnerships and support to strengthen health and education infrastructure across Zonkwa Constituency.
Bello Sarki recalled that he had previously worked with a Federal Government agency to establish a modern science laboratory at Government Technical College, Abet, to boost educational development.
The House of Assembly hopeful for Zonkwa Constituency in the 2027 general elections also promised to champion legislation and advocacy aimed at improving healthcare, education, youth empowerment and rural development if elected.
Also speaking, the Agwam Bajju, Mr Luka Kogi Yabwat, represented by the Waziri Bajju, praised Bello Sarki for what he described as responsive leadership and urged other public-spirited individuals to support projects that improve the welfare of the people.
The Secretary of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Zangon Kataf Branch, Comrade Onismus Zakaria, said the donated equipment and drugs would strengthen healthcare delivery and improve patient care.
He appealed to governments and other stakeholders to sustain investment in health facilities, describing quality healthcare as essential to community development.
The Peoples Democratic Party Chairman in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area, Mr Martins Koya, alongside the council’s Women Leader, also commended Bello Sarki’s intervention, urging political leaders and aspirants to focus on projects that have direct impact on the lives of the people.
The donated items include hospital beds, an ECG machine, wheelchairs, mattresses, stethoscopes, blood pressure monitors, disinfectants and other medical supplies.