Hussaini Ibrahim 
BAUCHI, Nigeria – The Federal Government has launched rehabilitation services in primary healthcare at the Doya Primary Healthcare Centre in Bauchi State, marking a major step towards expanding access to specialised rehabilitation care in communities.
The initiative is designed to integrate physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and other rehabilitation services into primary healthcare to improve access for people living with disabilities, recovering from injuries and managing long-term health conditions.
Speaking on Friday at the launch, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, said the programme responds to the growing demand for rehabilitation services across Nigeria.
Represented by his Special Adviser, Baba Abubakar Suleiman, Pate said more than 210 million people across Africa require rehabilitation services, while over 63 per cent lack access.
He called for stronger integration of rehabilitation into all levels of healthcare, particularly primary healthcare, alongside improved financing, workforce development, governance, health information systems and emergency preparedness.
According to the minister, stakeholders at the 2023 National Stakeholders’ Meeting identified primary healthcare integration as the most effective strategy for expanding rehabilitation services nationwide.
He said the Federal Government has approved the National Minimum Benchmark Framework to guide the integration of rehabilitation services and workforce requirements across primary healthcare facilities.
“The framework provides the operational standards that will guide implementation across the country and ensure quality, consistency and accountability,” Pate said.
“The launch is not the end of a process; it is the beginning of a national transformation.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Empowering Persons with Disabilities through Medical Rehabilitation, James Lalu, donated medical equipment and one-year salary support for a physiotherapist to strengthen services at the centre.
He said the intervention would enable residents of Doya and neighbouring communities to access physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, audiology, prosthetics and orthotics without travelling long distances.
Also speaking, Rufai Yusuf Ahmad said the board has digitalised its regulatory processes and will continue strengthening accreditation, professional development and workforce expansion to support quality rehabilitation services nationwide.
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Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Korede Abdullah