The Kwara State Government has reaffirmed that significant and measurable progress has been recorded in the health sector under the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, dismissing recent claims questioning the availability of MRI services and overall healthcare delivery in the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Ahmed El-Imam, made this known while reacting to a commentary published in ThisDay newspaper on January 19, 2026. She said while public scrutiny of government actions was welcome, assessments of healthcare services must be based on facts and an objective understanding of ongoing reforms.
According to her, a comprehensive review conducted at the start of the administration revealed that most inherited health facilities and medical equipment across primary and secondary healthcare centres were either obsolete, dilapidated or non-functional. She explained that the MRI machine previously installed at the Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre was a low-field 0.35 Tesla machine, which did not meet modern diagnostic standards and was unsuitable for advanced neurological, oncological and surgical diagnoses.
Dr El-Imam said the government deliberately chose modernisation and sustainability over reliance on outdated technology, leading to the procurement of a state-of-the-art 160-slice CT scan and a modern 1.5 Tesla MRI machine, both of which are expected to be commissioned soon for public use. She added that modern ultrasound machines have also been distributed to health facilities across the state to strengthen diagnostic capacity.
She further disclosed that the Intensive Care Unit at the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital had been completed and fully equipped, marking the first functional ICU of its kind in any state-owned facility. The ICU, she said, is fitted with advanced equipment, including a C-Arm machine, to support critical care and complex medical and surgical procedures.
Beyond infrastructure, the commissioner noted that the administration had prioritised human resources, despite the nationwide shortage of medical professionals caused by increased migration of healthcare workers. She said the government had embarked on massive recruitment across all cadres, including doctors, specialists, nurses and pharmacists, with the ongoing recruitment of 150 nurses. Kwara State, she added, currently pays the revised CONMESS and CONHESS salary structures in line with federal standards.
On specialist training, Dr El-Imam revealed that 41 resident doctors are currently undergoing training, supported by the regular payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund. She noted that Kwara State became the first state in Nigeria to commence MRTF payments in 2025.
The commissioner also highlighted the state’s free medico-surgical outreach programme, which delivers specialised services such as consultations, surgeries, free drugs and eyeglasses to residents, particularly in rural communities. She said 10,374 residents benefitted from the programme in 2025 alone across all 16 local government areas.
She added that the ongoing expansion of the KwaraCare Health Insurance Scheme continues to improve access to affordable healthcare, stressing that healthcare reform is a gradual process that must be judged by quality, functionality and sustainability.
Dr El-Imam concluded that the achievements of the AbdulRazaq administration in the health sector are verifiable and measurable, reflecting a deliberate commitment to improving healthcare delivery for all Kwarans.
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