News Rivers @2: Improved healthcare delivery
(Nigeria) By Simeon Nwakaudu
For eight years, the immediate past All Progressives
Congress, APC administration in Rivers State neglected the health sector.
Rivers people in rural areas were denied access to quality healthcare.
The people had no access to quality secondary
healthcare because all the General Hospitals in the state were left to rot.
Statewide improvement
in healthcare delivery was one of
the cardinal pledges that Governor Wike
made to the good people of Rivers State during the electioneering campaign that
led to the flushing out of the failed past administration.
In the last two years, Governor Wike has worked towards
creating a comprehensive healthcare framework that caters for the needs of Rivers people.
The administration has invested in the improvement of health facilities and
services across the state, while taking care of the welfare of
professionals in the sector.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, was in Rivers State to lay the
foundation for the construction of an ultra-modern doctors quarters at the Braithwaite Specialist Memorial
Hospital. This project is progressing
satisfactorily.
Training of Health Professionals
The administration established a College of Medical Sciences
at the Rivers State University and also started the setting up of the State
Teaching Hospital with the signing of the bill to actualize it.
Support for Private Medical Practitioners
In order to guarantee that more residents of Rivers State have access to quality
healthcare, the Rivers state governor, Wike flagged off a private hospitals
loan scheme (PHLS).The first batch of the scheme witnessed 37 hospitals in the state having access to
N500 million to upgrade their facilities and improve their services to the
people . Seven of the beneficiaries are non-indigenes, while 30 are from Rivers
State.
Flagging off the PHLS at the Government House, Port
Harcourt, Governor Wike urged the private medical practitioners to apply the
loans judiciously.
The state government would pay the interest on the loans on
behalf of the beneficiaries, while the beneficiaries will pay the principal
sum. This novel scheme has improved access to quality healthcare in Rivers State.
Unprecedented Rehabilitation of Secondary Healthcare
Facilities
Prior to the advent of the Wike administration, secondary
healthcare had collapsed across the
state. These General Hospitals suffered
criminal neglect during the leadership
of the immediate past APC administration in the state. Therefore, Rivers people in rural communities
were denied access to quality healthcare.
In line with the vision of the Governor Wike to create
access to quality healthcare for the people of Rivers State , the Wike
Administration commenced the total rehabilitation of 13 General Hospitals .
The following are the hospitals being rehabilitated :
General Hospital Omoku, General Hospital Nchia, General Hospital , Abua ,
General Hospital Isiokpo, General Hospital Abonnema, General Hospital Okirika ,
General Hospital Opobo , General Hospital Bodo, General Hospital Ngo, General
Hospital Buguma, Psychiatric Hospital , Rumuigbo , General Hospital Emohua and
General Hospital Eberi.
Rivers people from all walks of life have declared their support for the Governor’s commitment
to rebuild the health infrastructure in the state. These hospitals have never
witnessed any form of rehabilitation since they were constructed in the 1970s
and early 1980s.
Governor Wike declared that his administration will
transform the secondary healthcare sector of the state as a means of improving
the living standard of the people.
The governor said that the state government resolved to
revive the secondary healthcare facilities because they were abandoned for over
two decades.
Their upgrade would
open a new chapter in healthcare delivery in the state . Quality healthcare
would be close to the ordinary people of Rivers State at their doorsteps .
Recruitment of Medical Personnel/Improvement of Facilities
at Braithwaite Specialist Memorial Hospital
Aside the development of physical infrastructure in health facilities across the state, the Wike
administration has recruited qualified medical professionals
to help the state government
strengthen access to quality healthcare.
Also, facilities at the Braithwaite Specialist Memorial
Hospital (BSMH) have been improved by the administration. Governor Wike has released $4million for the purchase and installation
of modern equipment at the BSMH.
The administration will implement a phased distribution of vehicles to doctors on the payroll of the state government in the course of the
year.
International Specialist Hospital
The Rivers State Government under the leadership of Governor
Wike has started the process to construct
an international Specialist
Hospital to handle life-threatening
ailments. The New Specialist Hospital
will promote medical tourism in Rivers State.
The hospital will
have a helipad, modern equipment for the treatment of cancer, kidney, heart and
liver diseases.
Planned Completion of Mother and Child Hospital in Port
Harcourt
In addition, the administration has released funds for the
completion of the Ultra-modern Mother and Child Hospital in Port Harcourt. The hospital will be ready in four months,
following the termination of the joint
ownership agreement with the Niger Delta Development Commission.
By developing the health sector, the Wike
administration is ensuring a healthy population, which will in turn
galvanise the rapid development of the
state. Governor Wike has explained at
different fora that his investments in
the health sector are to reduce to the
barest minimum avoidable deaths in rural
communities.
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