By Sani Idris Abdulrahman

The Kaduna State Government, in collaboration with UNICEF has inaugurated and handed over the Yusuf Dantsoho Medical Gas Pipeline (MGP) system to strengthen access to life-saving oxygen services in the state.

Inaugurating the MGP on Monday at the Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital in Kaduna, the state’s
Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma Ahmed, said the event went beyond infrastructure, describing it as a commitment to saving lives and protecting mothers, newborns and vulnerable citizens across Kaduna.

Ahmed said the inaugurated oxygen piping system complements earlier UNICEF investments, including a level two neonatal intensive care unit and a medical oxygen plant at the facility.

She said that the combined interventions provide a comprehensive approach to addressing maternal and neonatal survival through reliable, safe and uninterrupted access to medical oxygen.

According to her, oxygen remains an essential medicine for newborns, mothers with obstetric complications and critically ill patients, often making the difference between life and death.

The commissioner said the pipeline delivers oxygen directly to points of care, improving efficiency, safety and emergency response, particularly within the neonatal unit.

She said the intervention aligned with the vision of Gov. Uba Sani’s administration, which had invested strategically in health infrastructure, human resources and partnerships across primary, secondary and tertiary facilities.

Ahmed acknowledged persistent maternal and neonatal challenges in Northern Nigeria, but said deliberate actions such as strengthened referral systems and expanded neonatal care were steadily changing the narrative.

She assured UNICEF and partners of the state’s commitment to sustaining the investment through proper management, maintenance and optimal utilisation of the oxygen system.

The commissioner disclosed that the 2026 budget included provisions for two additional oxygen plants, procurement of accessories and maintenance, alongside training for biomedical engineers, clinicians and nurses.

She commended the management of Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital for the ongoing reforms, urging frontline health workers to sustain quality, compassionate and patient-centred care.

Ahmed expressed appreciation to Sani for prioritising healthcare, and commended UNICEF for its consistent, strategic and impactful support to the state’s health sector.

Earlier, Mr Yusuf Moses, recalled that the Federal Government had launched the revised National Strategy for the Scale-Up of Medical Oxygen in Nigeria, 2023–2027, aimed at preventing deaths from hypoxemia.

Moses is the North-West Zonal Coordinator of the National Oxygen Desk, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

He said partners, particularly UNICEF, had played key roles in achieving the goal, noting that oxygen is now listed as an essential drug nationally.

Moses said global attention to oxygen increased after COVID-19, revealing quality and safety gaps that contributed to avoidable deaths.

He stressed that oxygen, while life-saving, is also hazardous if poorly handled, advocating the international best practice of removing oxygen cylinders from hospital wards.

Moses described the pipeline system as a critical step toward safer oxygen delivery, urging Kaduna state to manage the facility with utmost care and invest in continuous capacity building.

“My plea to Kaduna State Government is to ensure that all the resources are handled with ultimate care and attention.

“One of the ways we can do this is to reinforce capacity building of the oxygen uses.

“The doctors, nurses, biomedical engineers and everybody that has anything to do with the oxygen handling from the production to administration is needed to be trained,” he said.

Dr Hadiza Iyal, Health Specialist, UNICEF, said the inauguration marked a second milestone in UNICEF’s partnership with Kaduna State and the Federal Ministry of Health.

She said the medical gas pipeline system was an investment in lives, safer clinical care and health system resilience.

Iyal said lessons from COVID-19 underscored the importance of reliable oxygen, adding that the system would improve maternal, newborn and overall patient outcomes.

She said UNICEF was proud to partner with Kaduna State in the project’s second phase, following the establishment of an oxygen plant in 2024 with other partners.

Iyal reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to ensuring that no child, mother or patient is denied quality healthcare due to lack of essential medical oxygen.(NAN)