The Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gombe State Government to convert General Hospital Kumo into a Federal Medical Centre (FMC), aimed at boosting access to quality and specialized healthcare in the North-East.
The signing ceremony in Abuja was witnessed by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, the Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya, and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom.
Dr. Salako described the initiative as a major step in strengthening healthcare delivery across Nigeria, noting that FMC Kumo will be the 16th federal tertiary health institution established under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“This MoU demonstrates our administration’s priority in ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of location, has access to advanced medical services. The Federal Government is mobilizing resources to rapidly implement this agreement and strengthen healthcare infrastructure in Gombe State,” he said.
The minister also revealed that plans are underway to establish a specialized centre for snakebite treatment in Gombe, supported by budgetary allocations for the procurement of anti-snake venom, research, and awareness campaigns.
Governor Yahaya hailed the development as a “timely and strategic intervention,” stressed that it would complement his administration’s reforms and benefit residents of Gombe as well as neighbouring states. He highlighted Gombe’s contributory health insurance scheme with over 345,000 enrollees, including 100,000 indigent beneficiaries.
On her part, the Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, described the agreement as a landmark achievement in the health sector transformation agenda, saying it reflects decentralization, sustainability, and strong federal-state partnership in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu.
