Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has announced the upgrade of the General Hospital in Biu to a Specialist Hospital as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery and support the establishment of a College of Medical Sciences at the Nigerian Army University Biu (NAUB).

The governor announced at the weekend during a visit to the university, where he inspected two blocks of 12-bedroom staff quarters constructed by the state government.

Zulum assured the institution of continued support to facilitate the establishment of its proposed College of Medical Sciences, which he said would expand opportunities for Borno indigenes to study medicine and other health-related courses.

During an inspection of the ongoing construction of a 150-bed General Hospital in Biu, the governor disclosed that the facility would be upgraded to a Specialist Hospital upon completion next year.

“We are building another befitting 150-bed hospital in Biu. When completed and combined with the existing facility, it will have a capacity of between 300 and 400 beds. That means we have upgraded this hospital to a Specialist Hospital,” Zulum said.

According to him, the upgraded hospital will provide the clinical services required for the Nigerian Army University to commence its College of Medical Sciences.

“We are upgrading the hospital to provide the services needed by the Nigerian Army University to establish a College of Medical Sciences. By next year, the university will admit its first set of medical students. In addition, the Specialist Hospital will serve the remaining eight local government areas in southern Borno by improving access to specialised healthcare services,” he added.

The governor also announced the automatic employment of 17 volunteer nurses currently serving at the General Hospital in Biu and assured residents that more medical personnel would be recruited to strengthen healthcare delivery in the area.