By Olivia Obijiaku
The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Zaria, Most Rev Dr. Habila Tyiakonaboi Daboh has disclosed his decision to rehabilitate and upgrade the diocesan, St Martin De Porres Hospital Wusasa Zaria, with the proceeds from the 2025 cathedralticum. He also intimated that the hospital has been accredited as a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) centre.
Disclosing this, at the 2025 Chrism Mass which held in Christ the King Catholic Cathedral (CKCC), Sabon Gari Zaria, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the chief shepherd thanked the clergy and the lay faithful for supporting him, praying God to reward them abundantly.
He intimated that though the proceeds are meant to be his pocket money, he preferred to invest them in the hospital, primarily, for the good of the clergy and the faithful, especially, so that they can register and benefit from NHIS thorough the hospital.
“St Matins De Pores Hospital is our own daughter.” His Lordship told them. “It is our own hospital. If we ignore this hospital, we are ignoring our own. So, we have to nurture her. She is our baby. All of us, the reverend fathers have registered, starting from the bishop. So, we want all our families to register. If you register, then your treatment is free. So, please, let us try and register with our own hospital.”
“This money that you have gathered is supposed to be the bishop’s money – pocket money. But I am not going to use it for myself. I am going to use it for the diocese and I want to announce to you that this money is going to go into St Martin De Poress Hospital. We are going to renovate our hospital. We are going to give our hospital a new look. So, I want you to know that the money for the cathedralticum for 2025 is in St Martin De Poress, Wusasa.”
Speaking on NHIS, on behalf of the Health Ministry of the diocese, a Cardio Thoracic Surgeon at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika-Zaria, Prof Sunday Edaigbeni enlightened that it has been increasingly difficult all over the world, for most people to pay for their hospital bills from their pockets.
“That is why most governments advocate a kind of insurance scheme for their citizens to be able to afford health services. The health insurance scheme makes it possible for the unemployed or those who are not in government to access health care, that is to say, no matter how poor you are, the health insurance makes it possible for you to access any manner of health care that the very rich can afford, where possible and whenever.” He added.
Bishop Daboh also solicited same patronage for the schools which are owned by the Church within the diocese, citing Seat of Wisdom Academy, Bassawa Zaria, St Malachy’s Academy Pambegua and St John’s Academy, Muchia, as such schools, run by the Church in Zaria, which offer good and sound education.