Strategic and Sustainable Health Development in Delta State

Delta State under the leadership of His Excellency Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan (CON) has continued to score vital landmark poits in her quest to improve the Health condition of the people of the state.

As at 2012, Delta State has well over 65 Government Hospitals with over 253 Medical Doctors , 53 Consultants, 19 Dental Officers and several Nursing cum Health Officers. Delta State is reputed to be the state with the highest number of Medical Doctors in the payroll of the state.

Free Maternal Health Care Programme.
This programme was initiated by His Excellency Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan (CON) in 2007 and it entails free treatment and drugs for pregnant women from conception to delivery. This programme has endeared the Governor to many Deltans including the writer whose wife has put to bed twice in a Government Hospital in Delta State free of charge.

Free Under Five Health Care Programme
This programme was initiated by His Excellency Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan (CON) in 2007 and it entails free treatment and drugs for children below the age of five years. 

Maternal Mortality Rate
As a result of the various free health Care programmes embarked upon by the State Government, the MMR has dropped from 456/100,000 births  in 2008 to 221/100,000 births in 2011 as against a national MMR at 545/100,000 live births.

Delta State University Teaching Hospital  Delsuth-Oghara
Since the inauguration of the Hospital, it has witnessed several medical breakthroughs including the knee cap replacement and recently a memorandum of understanding with a foreign Hospital to enable her perform kidney transplants in Nigeria. 
The Hospital has graduated 2 sets and about to graduate the third set of Doctors who are already on various House Jobs across the state and country.
When the Uduaghan Administration came to power in 2007, the infrastructural development of the hospital was at 85 % completion while the administration completed it he structures and has so far spent Over N4 billion in equipping the hospital to international standard.

Other Giant Strides in the Health Sector
The State Government is building a world class Maternal Child Care Centre at the Central Hospital Warri and also rehabilitating the Eku Hospital to an international standard and the Hospital has been tipped to be an international centre for Family Planning.
Government is also committed to complete the Okpanam Hospital started by Former Governor James Ibori. According to sources from the state ministry of health, the Okpanam Hospital is to be remodeled and reshaped to meet modern standards and plans are underway to contract it to a renowned firm of hospital Construction and that adequate funding has been made available to complete the project in 2013 fiscal year.
In recognition of these giant strides in the health sector, His Excellency Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan (CON) was recently honored as a Fellow of SOGON at the 46th AGM & Scientific Conference of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria held at Abakaliki the Ebonyi State Capital.
Worthy of commendation is also the appointment of a seasoned Medical Doctor, Dr Joseph Otumara as the Honourable Commissioner for Health Delta State.

Challenges before the Health Sector in Delta State
Despite the huge success recorded, there are several challenges ranging from inadequate staffing to high wage bills. As observed, salaries and emoluments of health workers are usually very high. 
For instance, the Abraka Hospital has two Doctors and one Pharmacist. The Nurses are inadequate hence the Chief Matron of the hospital is made to run shifts. The story is the same in virtually all the hospitals across the state. I urge His Excellency to look into the area of manpower shortage in the Hospitals since the people are now leveraging on the benefits of the Free Health Care Programmes in the State.

The governor of Delta State has really done well for his people. I urge the governor to more for his ppeople