Alex Otti, the governor of Abia State, has repeated his vow to improve residents’ health by expanding their access to high-quality, cost-effective medical care.
On Wednesday, in Umuahia, Otti made these remarks at the reopening of the Abia State General Hospital in Amachara, not far from the city.
He promised that his administration will do everything in its power to get the state’s primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare facilities back up and running.
The governor explained that he felt obligated to make this investment because he wanted to make sure that everyone in Abia had access to high-quality medical care close to home.
Through “the provision of resources for the implementation of appropriate strategies and multi-disciplinary intervention to improve population health,” he stated, “the government is focused on reducing the burden of diseases in the state.”
Otti framed the hospital’s renovation as a political manoeuvre by the administration to win back the public’s trust in public hospitals.
When asked about the administration’s goals, he responded, “The achievement of improved healthcare delivery in Abia is significant to the overall development agenda of this administration, which is primarily aimed at improving the welfare of the people.”
He believes that a nation’s population’s health is still its most valuable resource.
That “under my watch, the health of the citizens will come first and be considered a higher priority” was a promise he made.
According to Otti, the government has put in place a system to guarantee the establishment of a culture of effective maintenance in the health sector, particularly in the administration of medical institutions.
He added that a comprehensive system to clean up the state’s drug distribution was in the works.
“We are rolling out strategic initiatives to control fake and substandard drugs and to guarantee that drugs come into the state from a reliable source, known for standard and effective products,” Otti added.
He advocated for better communication between medical staff and their patients and assured them that the government would pay them on time for all wages and benefits to which they are legally entitled.
He stated that talks had taken place between the administration and the heads of health unions to determine how to better reward hardworking health employees.
We think it will help with the ‘Japa Syndrome’ and bring in doctors and nurses who are now working abroad.
Otti has called on communities across the state to take responsibility for protecting local government buildings from damage.
Anyone caught defacing federal property will face severe consequences, he said.
In an address, Abia’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, expressed optimism that the state’s healthcare reforms would bear fruit in the form of a revitalised hospital.
When I first saw this hospital, I was in tears because it was so run down and the physicians were on strike.
I started thinking about how difficult it must be for hospital patients to get the care they need.
Today, things are different because the hospital has been renovated and updated with cutting-edge facilities in order to provide superior medical care.
“We are just getting started with our plans for the health sector,” Okoronkwo continued, “and as we roll out our plans, before the end of the first year of this administration you will see a truly transformed health sector.”
Dr. Francis Agu, the hospital’s medical director, has previously praised the government for its extensive health care changes.
Agu claimed that the reforms have greatly enhanced the state’s healthcare delivery system.
To quote his words: “The people of Abia deserve to receive prompt and efficient healthcare services and I make an affirmation of the commitment to the realisation of this goal.”
The Abia State Specialist Hospital, Diagnostic Centre, and Eye Clinic in Umuahia have all reportedly reopened following government renovations, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria.
NAN
