Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara has promised that his administration will upgrade two general hospitals in each of the three senatorial districts in the state next year.
Lawal made the promise during the commemoration of this year’s World Hand Washing Day, organised by Nigeria Governors’ Wives Forum, in collaboration with Procter and Gamble, in Gusau on Tuesday.
He said that his government would commit substantial resources to rebuilding and equipping some dilapidated healthcare facilities in the state, while training would also be organised for health workers.
The governor, who was represented by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mallam Abubakar Nakwada, said aside security and education, no other sector of the economy deserved more priority than health.
He urged the public to put hand washing into practice, adding: “By doing so, you are not only saving lives and money but also encouraging the government to put more effort into healthcare services.
“In recent years, we have witnessed a growing commitment to simple hand hygiene with significant progress.
“Therefore, we must redouble our efforts to achieve the global hand hygiene target through strong leadership and collective actions.”
Lawal expressed appreciation to the forum and Procter and Gamble for teaming up with the rest of the world to mark this year’s day through sensitisation and advocacy.
Also speaking, the wife of the governor, Hajiya Huriyya Lawal, expressed concern about the need to always observe hand washing.
“The United Nations has set a special day every year to remind ourselves of the need to observe hand washing regularly, which is, no doubt, important to avoid contact with germs and other unwanted diseases.
“We must wash our hands with soap anytime we come out from the toilets or when we are done with our daily activities.
“Cleanliness, they say, is next to Godliness. Our religion encourages us to be hygienic and that is the only way to control the spread of diseases, such as cholera and other deadly ailments.
“The present administration, under the leadership of my husband, has taken the provision of potable water as one of its priority areas, as it remains the basic thing needed to achieve the desired objectives of the hand washing initiative,” she said.
The governor’s wife urged children to cultivate the habit of washing their hands regularly to maintain cleanliness and enhance the health condition of the society.
