Kumo General Hospital set for upgrade as FG, Gombe sign MoU
By Kunle Sanni –
The Federal Government and the Gombe State Government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the conversion of General Hospital Kumo into Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Kumo, in a move aimed at expanding access to quality healthcare in the North-East.
The agreement was signed in Abuja under the supervision of the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, and Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State.
Dr. Salako said the initiative reflects President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system and ensuring equitable access to advanced medical services nationwide. He disclosed that FMC Kumo will be the 16th federal tertiary health institution established by the administration in less than two years.
“The Federal Government is mobilizing resources to rapidly implement this agreement and strengthen healthcare infrastructure in Gombe State,” Salako said, noting that the partnership will speed up the appointment of principal officers, regularization of medical staff, and creation of specialized health facilities.
The Minister also revealed plans to establish a specialized centre for snakebite treatment in Gombe, highlighting the government’s ongoing efforts to improve healthcare financing, expand insurance coverage, and build research capacity.
Governor Yahaya described the MoU as a “timely and strategic intervention,” adding that it will not only benefit residents of Gombe but also people from neighboring states who depend on the state’s health facilities. He pointed to Gombe’s contributory health insurance scheme, which currently has over 345,000 enrollees, including 100,000 indigent beneficiaries, as evidence of the state’s investment in healthcare.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Daju Kachollom, described the agreement as a historic milestone in Nigeria’s health sector transformation agenda, stressing the importance of strong collaboration between federal and state governments.
