Katsina State Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda has pledged government support for the proposed expansion of Outreach NeoLife Babies Hospital into Katsina to improve emergency and specialized care for sick and premature newborns.
Governor Radda made the commitment on Wednesday when he received the hospital’s Board Chairman, Dr. Efunbo Dosekun, and her delegation at the Government House in Katsina.
The governor described the initiative as timely, saying it could help reduce newborn deaths and improve access to urgent neonatal care across the state.
He directed the Commissioner for Health, Musa Adamu Funtua, to work with the NeoLife team to identify areas where the state could support the establishment and operation of the proposed facilities.
Governor Radda also highlighted his administration’s investment in child health, including more than ₦3 billion committed to nutrition programs, the expansion of stabilization centers, and the establishment of 60 Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP) centers. Recent state government records confirm the opening of two additional stabilization centers and 60 OTP sites across 12 local government areas.
Presenting the proposal, Dosekun said NeoLife plans to introduce a coordinated neonatal care model that would improve emergency treatment, referral systems, bed management, and access to specialist care.
She proposed urgent neonatal care centers in Katsina, Daura, and Funtua, with most of the workforce to be recruited locally and trained through Care One Digital Systems.
The model would also involve training mothers, grandparents, frontline health workers, and Traditional Birth Attendants to identify newborn danger signs early and facilitate timely referrals.
NeoLife currently operates a dedicated specialist neonatal facility in Kano, offering intensive care, preterm-baby care, diagnostics, and neonatal surgery. The facility is part of a partnership between Outreach Children’s Hospital and CareOne Digital Hospitals.
The proposed Katsina expansion is expected to complement the state government’s ongoing investments in healthcare and strengthen access to timely, specialized care for newborns across the state.
