By Chancel Sundayundayunday
THE Delta State Government has embarked on renovation
work on the Bomadi General Hospital, raising the hopes of the riverine people once again of standard healthcare facility to cater for their health needs in the area, which they often
sought after in neighbouring Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state in serious health challenges.
It could be recalled that the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Azinge, swiftly acted
to a Save- Our -Souls publication
in a national daily in February, 2016, by visiting the hospital, where patients in the state-owned health facility cried out over infestation of rats, mosquitoes
and embalmed corpses kept in the open, which period also coincided
with the reign of Lassa Fever.
Commending the government’s effort, the Ijaw Community Peace and Development
Organisation (ICPDO), speaking through the Chairman, Mr. Gbenekeme Amgbare, said “It is a welcome development
to our community. Now that the state government has started working for the well-being of the people of Bomadi;
we also encourage the government
to provide the needed equipment to the hospital.
“Government should also direct its attention to the dilapidating primary healthcare centres in the area. We commend
the government.”
However, in his project inspection/assessment visit to the health facility this week, Dr. Azinge, addressing the staff and the community folk, said that the state Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, was committed to alleviating the plight of Deltans in the midst of economic downturn, stressing that the renovation work was part of the SMART Agenda of the state government.
He, however, expressed displeasure over the slow pace of work in both the Bomadi General Hospital and the Government
Cottage Hospital at Ogriagbene community of the council area. Azinge also warned against absenteeism on the part of the hospital staff.
He said, “I thank His Excellency, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa for bringing relief in the renovation of this health facility for better
healthcare to the people of Bomadi and its environs. The few areas that have been left untouched, we will get them into the contract, especially the mortuary
which needs to be expanded.
“That is just part of the reason we came here for the on-the-spot assessment
because our attention was drawn to it in the first place.
“I am not impressed with the slow pace of work here and we will summon the contractors to Asaba as soon as possible
so we can get things back on track. Government will make sure the staffing of the Ogriagbene Cottage Hospital is brought up to par. The essence of the Ogriagbene health facility is to bring down the high mortality rate in rural communities.
“In conjunction with the SMART Agenda of the government, we have to strengthen our hospitals so that patients enjoy the government’s free maternal/infant healthcare scheme. There is a lot of work to be done and I think we are ready for it.”
The Bomadi community leadership, reacting through the community Vice Chairman, Mr. Ebikeme Senator, who is also President, Amatete Youth Forum, Bomadi town, said “We thank the state government for the effort, but we feel so bad about the slow pace of work of work at the hospital. As a result of this development, many patients were turned back for lack of space in the hospital.
“This is the only major hospital serving riverine communities here. In fact, government should upgrade it to a central hospital, as it is the major health facility serving Bomadi, Patani, part of Burutu, as well as Ekeremor and Sagbama Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State.” Delta State Chairman, Phase Two of the amnesty programme, Mr. Kingsley Muturu, in his reaction said, “We appreciate the state government
for listening to the people’s cry for help.“We also call on the government to look into the lingering issue of electricity
supply to Bomadi Council Area. We are not asking for too many things, what we are asking the government to do for us are simple: fix the electricity problem, potable water and roads”.