By Tina Amanda
Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike says his administration’s major focus has been to reposition health care service delivery in the state.
The Governor who stated this during the 2022 Rivers State Joint Health Conference in Port Harcourt, maintained that before his administration came on board in 2015, all primary health care facilities in the state were not functional as they were shut down as a result of strike action carried out by primary health workers in the state.
Represented by his Deputy, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo, Wike emphasized that his government has invested alot in human capital development, particularly in health, while reiterating his commitment and determination to continue to improve the health sector.
“We are very proud to offer you this first joint health conference knowing that our state we are always first in these things and so this important conference is no exception. I am very glad to have all the professions in health care delivery in the private sector come together to synergy with government for the singular purpose of repositioning health care services in the state.
“Health has always been a major focus of his Excellency Governor Nyesom Wike in Rivers State. When we came on board the primary health care facilities in the state was a night mare, you can imagine what would have happened to immunization for over a year, happily and luckily we intervened with the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Rivers State branch.
“Within four weeks of meetings they came back to work, health centers where opened, immunization started, maternal child health services and all other primary health care services. As the speaker rightly put that is the bottom of pyramid and it is very key in repositioning health care services.
“From the month of June 2015 all salaries where paid to civil servants, pensions where paid as at now we are paying pensions of 2014 that were in arrears. We want to say that this government has invested alot in human capital development especially in health.
“From giving non interest loans to medical doctors and other health professionals in the private sector, I know a few of you sitting here have benefited from these loans. When we talk about the infrastructural development across the length and breath of the state, all the renovations done in the general, zonal and psychiatric hospitals and the rebuilding of new hospitals.
“The mother and child hospital that was abandoned for years, it was supposed to be a project of NDDC jointly with the State government, the state government paid it’s own fund, but NDDC failed. When we came on board Governor Wike took over the project, it is completed and commissioned by the Minister of health, it is been provided with management consultancy, because it will be managed in such a way it would be sustainable.
“We want to ensure that all our hospitals are functioning, is not good enough to build, renovate and they are not serving the purpose it was meant for. We have a lot of community health insurance scheme going on now, the River state government is determined to improve the health of our people and all those who live and do business in the state,” Wike stated.
Speaking on repositioning health care services in the state, keynote speaker Dr. Ibrahim Wada, said the country is in dire need of more secondary health facilities, health tertiaries for research and direction of progress, to boost the health capacity for known and unknown events that may occur.
Also, Permanent Secretary Rivers State Ministry of Health, Ndidi Utchay, said the government has fulfilled the age long dream of raising the standard of health in the state to meet global best practices.
Highlights of the event was the conferment of honorary awards on Governor Nyesom Wike and Sir Peter Odili for their tremendous input to the health sector.
