In a bid to enhance to quality healthcare across Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike on Monday introduced a finance intervention scheme to assist private hospitals improve their facilities and operational environment.



Addressing medical doctors at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Governor Wike declared that the State government through a bank will make available loans to the private hospitals operating in the State.

According to the governor, the private hospitals loan scheme will cover hospitals in the urban and rural areas, with 500 health facilities billed to benefit from the programme.

He said : “These funds are not for the purchase of drugs. They are meant for the acquisition of equipment to enable private hospitals improve on the operational environment of their health facilities.

“I am introducing this programme because of the promise I made when I met with doctors before the elections. These funds will be accessed by private hospitals from across the State”.

He said that the state government will act as a guarantor for all the private hospitals that will access the loans. He added that the state government will pay the interest on the loans on behalf of the benefitting private hospitals.

“This will not be a programme for the political friends of the administration. It is a reach out to all private medical practitioners”, he said.

He announced the setting up of a seven-man committee to work out the modalities for accessing the loan.

The governor noted that the loans will be repayable in three years.

Speaking further, he assured the doctors that his administration will address the issue of multiple taxation by streamlining the taxes payable to the state and the local government areas.

He directed the State Attorney-General to withdraw the case instituted by the State Ministry of Environment against the Association of Private General Medical Practitioners.

The governor assured medical doctors in public practice of their welfare which includes the purchase of cars, training and re-training of personnel .

In his remarks, Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association, Dr Furo Green commended the governor for setting up the scheme to assist private medical practitioners in the state.

Dr Green said that this is the first time the state government is intervening in the development of private health facilities.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Rivers State Association of Private General Medical Practitioners, Dr Henry Sota said that the programme initiated by the governor was God-ordained with the aim of reviving the health sector of the state.

The meeting attracted over 1000 doctors from the public and private sectors.

Source>>http://www.barbaric.com.ng/access-healthcare-governor-wike-introduces-private-hospitals-loan-scheme/