Bauchi Gov’t, AMCE organise medical outreach, target 5,000 beneficiaries 

The Governor stated, “It gives me great pleasure to officially flag off this medical outreach in Bauchi state by the African Medical Center of Excellence jointly with the Government”

According to him, “Today’s event represents more than a medical outreach. It reflects the liberal governance in action. It aligns squarely with the health agenda of the this government, which prioritizes strategic partnerships, institutional collaboration, and structured interventions that expand access to quality healthcare for all citizens.”

He added that,”We warmly welcome our distinguished partners on the African Medical Center of Excellence Abuja. I’m really elated, they met me in Abuja under the best medical centre on the continent of Africa. And they have the humility and modesty to come to Bauchi.”

The Governor stressed that,”They have gone through a lot of hardship to even reach our medical officers  or our Health Ministry officers. I’m aware, on behalf of the government of Bauchi state, I purposely apologize, Mr. Brian Deaver, for these hiccups. But I assure you henceforth, I will personally take charge to ensure that all the hardships you encountered, all this hardship are minimized or removed completely.”

He added,”We thank you most sincerely for your partnership. Really, your presence in Bauchi underscores the power of collaboration, cooperative federalism, and institutional synergy in strengthening Nigeria’s health system. We deeply appreciate your commitment to extending specialized medical services beyond the urban centers of Abuja to states like ours.”

According to him,”This initiative is particularly commendable because it brings healthcare directly to the doorstep of the old and the young, men and women, and people living in hard-to-reach. and underserved communities. By reducing geographic and financial barriers, this outreach advances equity, enhances early diagnosis, and reduces preventable morbidity and mortality.”

Bala Mohammed further stated that,”Healthcare delivery remains a core responsibility of our government. Over the years, we have pursued a multi-layered reform strategy, upgrading infrastructure, modernizing equipment, improving workforce welfare, expanding access to essential medicines, and strengthening primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare linkages”

“We understand that resilient health systems are built on infrastructure, human capital, governance efficiency, and sustained partnerships. This outreach programme brings two critical service gaps. It provides specialist consultations, diagnostic screenings, selected interventions, structured referral pathways, and knowledge exchange for our healthcare professionals,” he added.

The Governor added that,”These components collectively strengthen service delivery while building long-term institutional capacity. I remember the time you addressed us at the Nigerian Government Forum, and I was so elated that here we are trying to provide tertiary healthcare and we don’t have the equipment, we don’t have the personnel. And you readily and modestly said you will come to our aid.”

He stressed that,”Today, we will have issues that this hospital, the teaching hospital, or our special hospital cannot treat, we’ll have to rush to Abuja. we want to thank the Nigerian Turkish Hospital for doing whatever they are doing for us in terms of providing specialized medical care.”

He then declared,”I assure you, Mr. Brian, Bauchi State is ready to work out the modalities of collaboration with you, with specific targets on how we are going to make your stay in Nigeria profitable, because we don’t have to go into medical tourism, sending our patients to Egypt and the United Kingdom, even the cost of travel is so huge that they can be used to provide the medical care itself. We thank you most sincerely and we appreciate why you are here.”

He added that,” While this programme has been effectively facilitated by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, I hereby direct the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare as the direct line Ministry to fully integrate this collaboration into state’s health system framework. The Ministry must ensure continuity, monitoring performance evaluation, and sustainability of the partnership.”

According to him,”This initiative must not remain episodic or periodic. It must evolve into a structured, institutionalized, service delivery programme. In furtherance of this objective, the Bauchi State Government is prepared to provide full institutional backing by designating a dedicated hospital to anchor this partnership. This will enable regular specialist visits, continuous training, coordinated referrals, and measurable outcomes that benefit our people.”

He added,”Let me assure our partners that Bauchi State will remain an active partner, defendable and supportive collaborating, we are committed to providing enabling environments, administrative support, and policy backing necessary to deepen this relationship in the headers of this very noble relationship.”

“To the medical teams participating in this outreach, I ask you to serve with excellence, integrity, and compassion. To our citizens, especially those in vulnerable and remote communities, I encourage you to take full advantage of this opportunity. Early medical attention saves lives,” he added.

He added that,”As we pull a plug on this joint medical outreach program, let this signal the beginning of a deeper institutional and sustainable collaboration, one that strengthens our health system, expands access, and improves outcomes for our people.”

Bala Mohammed stressed that, “I’m always proud to say that we have produced one of the best Ministers of Health in Nigeria, Prof Mohammed Ali Pate, and you can see what is going on in this hospital. It is not about politics, the young man is good, and is doing very well, and we should all be proud of him as both citizens.”

He stressed that,”Because, under the distinguished leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this young man has abandoned his white-collar job in Europe to come and provide leadership, and we can see what he is doing for us in Bauchi. This hospital has been upgraded, but we call on him to give special attention to my brother, the Chief Medical Director, because there are really areas that he needs support, so that this very populated state of over 10 million people and increasing, will have this kind of tertiary support under his leadership.”

“We also thank the Chief Medical Director for being very proactive, very accessible, easy to reach. We thank the hospital for all of the working with Bauchi State Government and I assure you, we still consider this hospital as our own, because only for the sake of this current administration, almost every infrastructure here was built by Bauchi State Government, he added.

Speaking earlier, Leader of the Outreach, Brian Deavet said that, “It is a true honor for the African Medical Center of Excellence, Abuja, to be with you here in Bauchi State today. Your Excellency, thank you for your leadership and for the priority that you place on the well-being of your people.”

According to him, “Outreach of this scale is only possible because a government decides that healthcare must be prioritized. So healthcare must be prioritized and must be included and accessible by everyone that seeks help.”

Brian Deaver added, “Now, speaking from the heart, today is a special day. Today is Valentine’s Day. And around the world, we reflect on the feelings of the heart towards our loved ones, and in your particular case, you all are loved ones, particularly to your Governor here.”

He also stated that,”Now, additionally, we will have an opportunity to check your heart. and see just how healthy they are. One of the things that I think that the people in Africa realize, or maybe are in fact fearful of, is getting a diagnosis, medical diagnosis, that they hadn’t planned on.”

He added,”So I’m here to tell you, having worked in healthcare on at least five different continents, the sooner that we know there’s something that needs to be worked on, the greater the chances that you will have a long life.”

“And so, when you look at, for instance, cancer, in the U.S. and European countries, most cancers can be treated with an 82% success rate. That’s right, 82% chance. In Africa, it drops to 50, and that’s largely because of finding it too late,” he observed.

According to him,”What we are here to do today, and hopefully begin a pattern of routine checkups and screenings, we’re here to help you understand what is needed in your specific life, in your specific health. And we’re going to help you access those resources that you’re going to need, and we’re going to make sure that you have a long and happy life with your families.”

He added,”Again, I want to thank all those who came today. We are looking forward to meeting with the great people of Bauchi. You know, I’ve lived in Nigeria for about three and a half years now. It has been a wonderful experience, and I’ve told my team I will probably move back. Never move back to the U.S., to Texas, where I’m from. I love the people of Nigeria, and I love the people of Bauchi. And we look forward to working very closely with you to make sure that you’re healthy and happy.”

Earlier in his opening remarks, State Commissioner of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Mohammed Sani Dambam, explained that the outreach is aed at providing free medical care to vulnerable people of the State who had been screened for various ailments.

In his brief, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of ATBUTH, Prof Yusuf Bara, commended the partnership for the medical outreach especially for choosing ATBUTH for exercise assuring that the exercise will be a huge success.