The Federal Government has flagged off the distribution of ₦10 billion worth of medical equipment, ambulances, drugs and delivery kits aimed at strengthening maternal and newborn healthcare services across Bauchi State. The rollout, held Saturday at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi, was inaugurated by Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate alongside representatives of the Bauchi State Government. Pate described the intervention as part of the Federal Government's broader push under President Bola Tinubu to improve primary healthcare delivery nationwide, noting that similar programmes have already reached 35 states with investments spanning infrastructure, equipment, essential commodities, workforce training and emergency medical services. He said more than 3,000 young people from Bauchi have been recruited into federal health institutions as part of related workforce development efforts. Under the Bauchi rollout, 20 primary healthcare centres across the state's 15 local government areas will receive medical equipment β€” including labour and delivery kits, suction machines, oxygen equipment, neonatal intensive care equipment, and laboratory facilities for maternal health β€” while another 20 facilities will receive essential drugs and consumables. The package also includes 15 rural ambulances, six conventional ambulances, and 17,000 maternity kits intended to support safe childbirth and reduce out-of-pocket costs for expectant mothers. The Chairman of the Bauchi State Emirate Committee on Health and Emir of Dass, Usman Bilyaminu, thanked the Federal Government for prioritizing maternal and child healthcare, commending Pate for reforms he said are widening access to quality care and praising state authorities for investing in health infrastructure, recruiting skilled personnel, and meeting counterpart funding obligations. He pledged continued support from traditional institutions in mobilizing communities to take up maternal, newborn and child health services. The event also featured the graduation of the first cohort of National Health Fellows and the inauguration of the programme's second cohort.