Stakeholders in the health and media sectors have praised the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for establishing a modern hospital in Bauchi State, describing the initiative as a major boost to healthcare access in the region.

Executive Director of Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiatives (J4PD), Elizabeth Kah, said the hospital’s strategic location in Yelwa would provide much-needed secondary and tertiary healthcare services to underserved communities.

She stressed that public health remains central to societal development and pledged the organisation’s readiness to partner with the facility on health awareness and advocacy programmes.

The Bauchi State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Umar Saidu, also lauded the Customs Service for investing in healthcare infrastructure, noting that the hospital would complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery.

Hospital officials disclosed that consultations at the facility cost only N500, following a directive from the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.

The stakeholders spoke during a familiarisation visit to the hospital, where journalists were taken on a tour of the facility and briefed on its operations and services.