TO strengthen the free Maternal and Newborn Child Health (MNCH) package in Jigawa State, about N23 million has been approved for the purchase of drugs and delivery kits for free distribution to women in labour throughout the state.

Meanwhile, a Catholic hospital has been converted to a comprehensive health centre at Bacita community in Edu Local Council Area of Kwara State.

To compliment the Jigawa State plan, three dispensaries and two comprehensive health centres would be established in each of the 27 local council areas of the state.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tafida Abubakar, who disclosed this in Dutse, said the state had established over 135 different health facilities, renovated and equipped others with modern facilities to meet with the health needs of the people.

The commissioner explained that the state had also increased its human resources for health from 2,000 in 2007 to 7,000 to address the acute shortage of manpower in the sector.

Bacita, a sleepy settlement within the Savannah location of the council, was famous for a sprawling sugar company sited there.