The Kwara State governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has said his administration has turned the newly expanded, five general hospitals in the state to world-class facilities in order to bring qualitative healthcare closer to the people.

He said this yesterday at the 20th Annual General Meeting and 13 Scientific Conference of Nigeria Medical Association(NMA)  Kwara state branch, with the theme "Breaking the Barrier of Effective Healthcare Delivery" held at Kwara Hotel, Ilorin.

Governor Ahmed who spoke through the state Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Abdul Kayode Issa explained that the present administration intends to remodel and modernize another five general hospitals across the state.

According to him, the hospitals will be complement with highly trained medical and paramedical personnel and modern equipment.

He also disclosed that plans are on top gear to recruit more health care professionals across the cadres to boost the capacity of the workforce.

"My administration will not relent in its effort to improve the welfare of doctors in the state in line with our commitment to effective health care delivery.

Governor Ahmed noted that there is need to do more to promote preventive medicine through wholesome practices, saying there is need for healthcare professionals to redouble their efforts to encourage active lifestyles and healthy eating habits so as to reduce the incidence of avoidable non-communicable diseases in the population.

Earlier in his welcome address, the chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association(NMA) Prof. Mikhail Olayinka Buhari said the association have earmarked the phased development of its land at Olorunsho that was recovered by last administration, which the official foundation laying was done yesterday for phase one.

According to him, the association had community outreaches during the physicians and medical outreach which is part of the annual general meeting.

Speaking on the challenges, Prof. Buhari explained that the association faced in the last years which they can be able to overcome.

In a lecture on breaking the barrier to effective healthcare delivery, Prof. Tanimola Akande, from the Department of Epidemiology, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital(UITH) Ilorin, said poor health indices in Nigeria is a product of barriers to effective health care delivery.

He said there is need to ensure that constitutional and policy steps are taken to put in place an effective National health care delivery system.