NWDC to Partner Dala Orthopaedic Hospital to Reduce Healthcare Costs

The North-West Development Commission (NWDC) says it is finalising plans to partner the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala, Kano, to reduce healthcare costs by addressing the hospital’s critical operational challenges, particularly its energy needs.

The Managing Director of the commission, Prof. Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji, disclosed this while receiving the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Dr. Isa Nurudeen, during a courtesy visit in Kano.

Ma’aji said the commission would begin with a comprehensive assessment of the hospital’s operational requirements, especially its energy demands for running sophisticated medical equipment, before designing an intervention framework.

According to him, reducing the hospital’s operational and maintenance costs will ultimately translate into more affordable specialised healthcare services for patients.

The NWDC managing director maintained that the commission was also considering similar interventions for the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital and Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital because of their strategic roles in providing specialised healthcare services across the North-West and beyond.

He said the proposed partnership would also include training technical personnel in the operation and maintenance of medical equipment to minimise downtime and reduce dependence on foreign manufacturers for repairs.

Ma’aji expressed optimism that strengthening specialist healthcare institutions in the region would improve service delivery, reduce medical tourism and conserve foreign exchange.

Earlier, the CMD of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala, Dr. Isa Nurudeen, appealed to the commission to support the hospital in tackling its major operational challenges, particularly the high cost of energy.

He explained that the hospital’s newly installed Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine, donated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, requires uninterrupted electricity supply round the clock, resulting in huge electricity and diesel expenses.

Nurudeen appealed to the commission to provide a sustainable alternative energy solution capable of powering the MRI machine and other essential medical equipment to improve service delivery.

The North-West Development Commission was established in 2024 to accelerate infrastructure development and address socio-economic challenges across the seven states of the North-West through interventions in sectors including healthcare, education, agriculture, security, environmental protection, and women and youth development.