Akwa
Ibom State government says it will continue to invest heavily in the health
sector to ensure the availability of affordable and qualitative health care
delivery system to the people of the state.
An
elated Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Charles Udoh restated this
while announcing the arrival of seven container-loads of medical hardware
procured by the state government.
Mr.
Udoh said that Governor Udom Emmanuel is committed to the upgrade of all
secondary health facilities in the state in other to enhance easier access to
the standard Health care services in all parts of the state.
“Governor
Emmanuel is creating industries, expanding infrastructure, investing in
Agriculture and education, but without a healthy population, who are going to
be the beneficiaries of these developments?”
“We
took delivery of one container of medical equipment yesterday, in addition to
the six containers that arrived earlier. Another 9 are awaiting shipment to Uyo
from the Port Harcourt,” Mr Udoh announced.
“
If you visit the hitherto dilapidated General Hospital at Etinan, you will be
amazed at the new look of rehabilitated and completely re-furnished state of
the hospital,” and the Governor is planning to replicate the same gesture in
all General Hospitals in the state.
Some of the new equipment delivered to the hospital included, automated beds
with ultrasound scanners, electro- cardiogram machines, spot vital signs
devices, foetal anomaly scanners, endoscopes, oxygen concentrators among
others.
During
the state anniversary celebration few weeks ago, a team of 100 medical
personnel comprising 25 doctors and 75 nurses were inaugurated into an
Emergency Response Training Programme by the Governor , while the construction
of an ultra-modern General Hospital at Ituk Mbang was flagged off by Mr
Emmanuel.
The
Commissioner said the new hospital which is strategically located at the site
of the existing hospital at Ituk Mbang is meant to service Uyo metropolis and
the Ibom International Airport axis of the state.
“The
Modern General Hospital,Ituk Mbang, as the governor promised when rehabilitated
and re-equipped will take care of gynaecology, paediatrics, emergency health
care and other general medical services.”
“Don’t
forget that the Governor is still providing free health care services to the
infants, the expectant mothers and the aged, and these services will make more
meaning when the facilities are in place and are accessible to people.”
He
said the governor is making a bold expression to stem the tide against the
spate of medical tourism abroad, and reduce the congestion on the tertiary and
quaternary medical facilities in the state.
It
would be recalled that Governor Udom Emmanuel who kick-started the medical
reforms in May this year had noted that a healthy population gives rise to a
wealthy population, maintaining that having been exposed to several world class
medical facilities in the world, he was under obligation to deliver same to his
people.
‘I
don’t see this as an expense but as an investment in the interest of Akwa Ibom
people,” Governor Emmanuel said.
No comments: