…as WHO, community stakeholders pledge partnership
The Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has commissioned multiple Type-3 primary healthcare centres across the three senatorial zones, saying the milestone achievement was in line with of his campaign promises to ensure a healthy workforce.
This was even as the World Health Organisation (WHO), traditional rulers, presidents-general and other community stakeholders commended the governor for prioritizing the welfare and health needs of the people, recommitting their support for the project.
Commissioning the facilities at the primary healthcare centres at Adani, Agbogugu and Nara-Unateze in Uzo Uwani, Awgu and Nkanu East local government areas, respectively, the governor said the healthcare centres which were recently re-equipped with ultra-modern facilities and staffed with medical doctors as well as other health workers would provide efficient services and meet the medical needs of the people.
The governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof Chidiebere Onyia, said the healthcare centres were fully equipped with diagnostic equipment and staff that would provide 24-hour services.
“This is the beginning of so many commissioning that will take place in Enugu in the months ahead. This will also set the pace for the 260 Type-2 primary healthcare centres. Enugu State is geared to ensure that all our citizens are healthy so that we can all join the prosperity agenda of our administration in developing our GDP and growing our economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion over the next 7 years,” he said.
According to him, the healthcare centres will offer services such as full blood count, pregnancy and birth delivery, malaria, kidney function test, genotype, hormonal assay, HIV, blood group, thyroid function test, blood glucose, hepatitis B & C, syphilis, H. pylori, culture (urine, stool), ESR, glycated hemoglobin, among other medical services.
He added that the healthcare centres which have 15 KVA solar power systems that would provide 24/7 power supply with fully digitalized electronic medical record system, also have lab equipment such as channel electrocardiogram machines, modern patient vital sign monitors, nebulizers, oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators, sterilizing unit sets, commodes, suction machines, basic resuscitation sets, among others.
Mbah further stated that the healthcare centres have detachment of staff quarters where medical doctors, nurses and other medical personnel would live to enable them provide uninterrupted medical treatments.
On her part, the Executive Secretary of Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENPHCDA), Dr Ifeyinwa Ani-Osheku, commended the governor for resuscitating the heath sector through huge investment on ultra-modern facilities that would provide some of the best services in line with global best practices.
She described the health facilities as advanced healthcare system where patients living in rural areas would have the same opportunities and treatments as their counterparts in urban areas.
The healthcare centres, she emphasised, have standard delivery units for expectant mothers, antenatal section that would discourage pregnant women from visiting traditional birth attendants, adolescent healthcare units, fully-equipped pharmacy, theatres as well as male and female wards.
The ENPHCDA boss assured that the health facilities possess equipment that can handle complex health issues, urging people dwelling there to avail themselves of the opportunity provided by the Mbah administration.
Also speaking at Agbogugu, the WHO State Coordinator, Dr Ugwu Adaeze, called on pregnant women, nursing mothers and the general public to maximize the services the facilities had offered them through the state governor.
While pledging that WHO would continue to partner the state government to champion the well-being of the people, she appealed to women to visit the centres for immunization and child-delivery.
Speaking earlier, the Uzo Uwani, Awgu and Nkanu East council chairmen, Barr Chijioke Ezugwu, Mr Uche Okolo, and Hon Sydney Okechukwu, thanked the governor for the aggressive infrastructure in the health sector.
They pledged commitment to provide adequate security for the staff and the facilities at the health centres, stressing that the facilities would boost the workforce and productivity in their areas.
Hon Edeh, who is also the state ALGON chairman, extolled the governor for the smart schools and the Type-2 primary healthcare centres across the state, promising that they would take ownership of the projects and put them into effective use.
His Uzo Uwani counterpart said the council was already championing security reforms to guarantee the safety of residents, including government facilities. “We have continued to provide enabling environment for all the entrepreneurship initiatives of the state for our youths and women in skills acquisitions.”
