By FWENJI GO’AR & SEKYEN WALSHAK
The health sector in Plateau State is undergoing a massive revitalisation drive under the leadership of Governor Caleb Mutfwang as the administration intensifies efforts towards achieving universal health coverage and improving access to quality healthcare services for residents across the state.
Since assuming office in 2023, the Mutfwang administration has embarked on far-reaching reforms and strategic investments aimed at repositioning the healthcare system through improved infrastructure, enhanced medical services, stronger disease control mechanisms and expanded access to affordable healthcare.
The Plateau State Ministry of Health, saddled with the responsibility of coordinating healthcare delivery in the state, has continued to provide leadership in developing and implementing public health policies, coordinating disease prevention and control programmes and supervising healthcare delivery systems across Plateau State.
The ministry’s mandate also includes strengthening disease surveillance and outbreak response, improving maternal and child healthcare, combating malaria and collaborating with development partners to address emerging health challenges.
Within the last three years, the Mutfwang administration has recorded notable progress in expanding and equipping healthcare facilities across the state, improving healthcare access at the grassroots level and strengthening healthcare delivery in both urban and rural communities through agencies such as the Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Plateau State Hospitals Management Board, Plateau State Primary Health Care Board, Plateau State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency and the Plateau State Drugs and Medical Commodities Management Agency.
PS-DMCMA records major milestones
The Mutfwang administration has continued to strengthen healthcare delivery through major investments in pharmaceutical supply systems and medical commodity management across Plateau State.
Since its revitalisation in 2023, the Plateau State Drugs and Medical Commodities Management Agency (PS-DMCMA) has recorded significant achievements aimed at improving access to quality medicines, strengthening the healthcare supply chain and ensuring efficient distribution of medical commodities across the state.
One of the agency’s landmark achievements was the commissioning of a modern state warehouse equipped with advanced technology to improve storage and distribution systems. The facility includes a cold room for vaccine preservation, a quality control laboratory, a drug information centre and modern forklifts to support logistics operations.
The warehouse now serves as a central hub for the safe storage and efficient distribution of pharmaceutical products to healthcare facilities across all 17 local government areas of the state.
The agency has also intensified efforts to curb the circulation of counterfeit and substandard drugs by ensuring that only certified and quality-assured medicines are supplied to government-owned health institutions.
In addition, the agency has improved access to affordable essential medicines through a stable supply system covering consumables, injectables, infusions and other pharmaceutical products. Critical medical commodities, including anti-snake venom, are now more readily available across healthcare facilities in the state.
To strengthen drug availability and affordability, the agency signed Memoranda of Understanding with pharmaceutical manufacturers and suppliers. The partnerships have enhanced consistency in medical commodity supply, with major facilities such as the Plateau State Specialist Hospital now receiving nearly 70 per cent of their required pharmaceutical commodities.
The reforms and improvements recorded by the agency have attracted national recognition, with Plateau State selected for Strategic Health System Maturity Support Advocacy under the National Product Supply Chain Management Programme (NPSCMP), further affirming the state’s progress in healthcare supply chain management.
In line with efforts to promote innovation and local capacity development, the agency established a Public Health Supply Chain Innovation Hub in 2025. The initiative is aimed at encouraging local pharmaceutical manufacturing, strengthening supply chain resilience and improving healthcare sustainability within the state.
The Mutfwang administration also approved the procurement of logistics vehicles and operational shuttles, including trucks, vans, and motorcycles, to improve drug distribution, monitoring and evaluation activities across Plateau State.
To address energy challenges and ensure uninterrupted warehouse operations, the government installed a solar power system at the agency’s facility, significantly reducing operational costs while improving efficiency.
Another major milestone was the development of Plateau State’s maiden Essential Medicines List (EML), designed to prioritise medications for the most prevalent diseases affecting residents of the state.
The agency also plays a strategic role in maternal and child healthcare through the storage and distribution of “Mama Kits”, also known as Safe Delivery Kits, to government healthcare centres across the state. The initiative is aimed at promoting safer childbirth and reducing maternal and infant mortality.
Operational safety within the facility was further enhanced with the construction of a new exit gate to improve movement and reduce congestion within the warehouse premises.
As part of staff welfare initiatives, the agency commenced the establishment of a staff canteen expected to improve staff productivity and workplace conditions upon completion.
The ongoing reforms introduced by PS-DMCMA have significantly strengthened the state’s healthcare system through improved warehouse management, efficient supply chain operations, enhanced medicine availability and better support for healthcare institutions across Plateau State.
Plateau Specialist Hospital undergoes major transformation
The administration of Governor Caleb Mutfwang has also recorded significant achievements in the healthcare sector through major infrastructural development, improved medical services and strategic reforms at the Plateau State Specialist Hospital within three years in office.
Since 2023, the hospital has undergone extensive transformation aimed at improving healthcare delivery, specialist training, patient comfort and positioning the facility as a centre of excellence in northern Nigeria.
One of the major interventions of the administration was the procurement and replacement of 100 hospital beds, mattresses and pillows to improve patient care, safety and operational efficiency across the facility.
Similarly, the government commenced the installation and deployment of an Electronic Medical Records system under the Smart Health initiative, which is currently over 80 per cent completed. The digital health project is expected to enhance data management, patient monitoring and service delivery in the hospital.
In the area of specialised healthcare, the hospital expanded residency training programmes in Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Family Medicine, with additional consultants employed in key areas including ENT, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, Urology, Cardiology, Gastroenterology and Endocrinology.
The administration further strengthened healthcare manpower through the approval for replacement of medical professionals and other staff members who exited service, ensuring continuity and improved efficiency in healthcare delivery.
As part of strategic collaborations, the hospital benefited from partnerships with several organisations. These include the donation of a solar-powered borehole by TASTE, ambulance services branded under NEMSAS/PLASEMSAS and medical equipment donations by Niagara Healthcare Limited. Partnerships with NBTS, IHVN, APIN and WACEID also enhanced blood supply services, laboratory support, HIV treatment and infection prevention training.
The hospital’s Radio-Diagnostic and Imaging Centre was made fully operational following approval by the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), with services now including CT scan and MRI investigations.
In another landmark achievement, the state government completed and equipped a state-of-the-art laboratory complex valued at over ₦2 billion. The facility now supports multiple medical specialties and advanced diagnostic services.
The administration also revitalised the Emergency Drug Revolving Fund (EDRF) by clearing debts amounting to ₦100 million, a move that improved access to essential drugs and enhanced affordability for patients.
To boost staff capacity and welfare, continuous professional training programmes were organised for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, therapists and other healthcare workers.
Staff welfare initiatives also included retirement send-off ceremonies, award nights, prompt payment of salaries and allowances, as well as transport support through Jos Metro Bus Cards.
In line with its long-term healthcare vision, the hospital developed a five-year strategic plan aimed at repositioning the facility for medical tourism and universal health coverage.
The government equally expanded physiotherapy services and introduced a speech therapy department to cater for patients with communication and swallowing disorders.
Infrastructure development within the hospital also received attention through the renovation of house officers’ quarters damaged by rainstorms and the completion and furnishing of a modern administrative block to improve coordination and staff productivity.
The paediatric complex was refurbished and equipped to strengthen child healthcare services and reduce infant mortality, while the Eye and ENT Clinic was renovated and expanded to improve patient experience and compliance with modern healthcare standards.
Additionally, the hospital received a brand new 2025 model ambulance and a 14-seater Toyota bus to improve emergency response and logistics. The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs also supported indigent patients through donations of food supplements, drugs and consumables.
To address power challenges, an 80KVA renewable solar energy system was installed to reduce operational costs and ensure uninterrupted healthcare services.
The cumulative interventions of the Mutfwang administration have significantly repositioned the Plateau State Specialist Hospital into a modern healthcare institution capable of delivering quality medical services, timely diagnosis, specialist training and improved patient care.
Primary healthcare services expanded across Plateau
The Mutfwang administration has also recorded remarkable progress in strengthening primary healthcare delivery across Plateau State through massive investments in immunisation, nutrition, infrastructure, staffing and community healthcare services within its three years in office.
Under the supervision of the Plateau State Primary Health Care Board, the state government implemented wide-ranging reforms aimed at improving access to quality healthcare services, particularly at the grassroots level.
One of the major achievements has been the expansion of routine immunisation services across all 17 local government areas of the state. Routine immunisation activities are currently conducted in 976 government primary healthcare facilities, with urban centres running daily sessions and rural facilities carrying out weekly outreach programmes to reach underserved communities.
Similarly, the Department of Disease Control and Immunisation coordinated seven rounds of supplemental immunisation campaigns between 2025 and 2026. These included Big Catch-Up campaigns, outbreak response exercises, National Immunisation Plus Days, Measles-Rubella vaccination campaigns and Subnational Immunisation Plus Days integrated with Maternal and Child Health Week activities.
The campaigns recorded significant successes, including the immunisation of over 1.4 million children during the April 2025 outbreak response campaign, representing 116 per cent coverage, while the Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign achieved 103 per cent coverage among children aged nine to 59 months.
The state government, alongside development partners such as UNICEF, provided substantial financial support for the immunisation programmes. Government contributions included ₦45 million for the Measles-Rubella campaign and ₦24.7 million for the December 2025 immunisation exercise, while UNICEF contributed over ₦93 million for Big Catch-Up intensification rounds.
In a major step towards addressing malnutrition, the state government established a dedicated Nutrition Department in 2023 to coordinate nutrition interventions and strengthen maternal and child health services across the state.
Since its establishment, the department has recorded several milestones, including the appointment of an acting director, provision of office facilities, procurement and distribution of Specialized Quality Lipid-based Nutrients (SQLNs), and the training of healthcare workers, volunteers and storekeepers on nutrition management.
The Mutfwang administration also embarked on extensive renovation and revitalisation of Primary Health Care facilities across communities including Rayfield, Gugur, Wereng, Doss, Vel, Bidol, Zagun, Doemak, Lipchok, Durbi and Kalong.
The projects included the construction and renovation of maternity wards, roofing and ceiling repairs, installation of sanitation facilities, provision of medical equipment, rehabilitation of water systems, fencing, painting, ventilation improvements and staff accommodation upgrades.
At Rayfield PHC, the completion of a maternity ward, provision of beds, laboratory equipment and fencing significantly improved maternal and child healthcare services. Similar upgrades across other facilities enhanced hygiene standards, patient comfort, security and overall healthcare delivery at the community level.
The administration further strengthened healthcare services through the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), which now covers all 207 federal wards in Plateau State.
Under the programme, Level II PHCs receive quarterly operational funding ranging from ₦600,000 to ₦800,000, while medical equipment, laboratory facilities and solar power systems have been installed to support 24-hour healthcare services.
To improve emergency response and healthcare access, midwives and ad hoc health workers were deployed across facilities, while motorbikes were provided to bridge referral gaps in hard-to-reach communities.
The revolving drug fund system has also ensured steady availability of essential medicines across PHCs, while monitoring systems focusing on accountability, equity and quality service delivery have been strengthened.
Community participation remains a key aspect of the reforms, with Ward Development Committees actively involved in procurement monitoring and facility oversight to improve transparency and community ownership.
Health experts say the ongoing transformation of Plateau State’s primary healthcare system reflects the Mutfwang administration’s commitment to improving maternal and child health outcomes, expanding healthcare access, strengthening disease prevention and restoring confidence in public healthcare services across the state.