The Zamfara Youth Awareness Forum has commended former Governor Dr Bello Muhammad Matawalle, for what it described as his transformative reforms in the state’s health sector, saying his administration restored confidence, compassion and access to public healthcare.
In a statement signed by its Secretary, Abubakar Ibrahim Gusau, the Forum said Matawalle inherited a collapsing health system but turned it into a functional, people-centred structure that prioritised the lives of the poor and rural dwellers.
The group said under Matawalle’s leadership, Zamfara recorded historic investments in hospitals, equipment and medical personnel, leading to the renovation and upgrade of 147 primary healthcare centres across the 14 local government areas.
According to the statement, communities that had long been without medical access finally received quality care as a result of the reforms.
It added that Matawalle’s administration reconstructed the General Hospital, Gusau, into a modern facility equipped with digital diagnostic tools, a blood bank and an emergency response unit.
Similarly, major hospitals in Kaura Namoda, Anka and Talata Mafara were rehabilitated and provided with ambulances and solar-powered cold storage systems for vaccine preservation.
The Forum also noted that Matawalle introduced a statewide free maternal and child healthcare programme which, it said, drastically reduced maternal and infant mortality rates. The initiative, covering antenatal, safe delivery and postnatal care, reportedly benefited over 38,000 women during his tenure.
To address manpower shortages, the former governor recruited over 480 new doctors, nurses, midwives and laboratory scientists, while offering scholarships to medical students both within and outside the country.
“Matawalle approached healthcare with sincerity and humanity,” the Forum said. “He understood that the health of the people is the foundation of development. His reforms saved countless lives and restored dignity to public hospitals that had been neglected for years.”
The group further applauded the introduction of the Zamfara State Contributory Healthcare Scheme, a policy aimed at making affordable healthcare accessible to civil servants, traders and low-income earners.
However, the Forum expressed regret that many of these programmes have been discontinued by the current administration, warning that deteriorating hospital services and drug shortages now threaten the wellbeing of ordinary citizens.
“Dr Bello Matawalle’s time in office marked a new dawn in healthcare,” the statement concluded. “He proved that leadership is about saving lives, not chasing headlines. His return in 2027 is the only assurance that Zamfara’s health system will once again serve the people with compassion, competence and continuity.”