IN order to bring affordable health care services to the people, the Abia State government has built, equipped and staffed over 210 Primary Health Centres across the state.

It has also embarked on renovation of general hospitals in addition to two high technology Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centres in Aba and Umuahia, which President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned last year.

Speaking on the efforts the Theodore Orji Administration has so far made in the sector, the Health Commissioner, Dr Okechukwu Ogah, said the governor hopes the specialist centres would provide suitable alternatives to people seeking medical treatment abroad.

The government, he said, has invested in the upgrading of facilities in its health institutions, training and re-training of medical and paramedical personnel as well as approved building of residential quarters for doctors within the general hospitals six of which are being expanded with facilities for training.

On the problems facing health care delivery in the state, Ogah listed poor roads and utilities in the rural areas, inadequate manpower and indiscipline among health workers adding that government was striving to address them effectively to effect the reversal.

It also unfailingly fulfills its obligations in all international and national health projects in which the World Bank and other donor agencies are partners.

“This was confirmed by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Resident Representative in Nigeria, Dr Agathe Latre-Gato Lawson, who during a working visit to the state last year, noted that Abia State was far ahead others in the payment of counterpart funds” Ogah said.

On immunization, Ogah said the state has performed well as there have been no new incidents of Polio in recent times.

With respect to the remuneration of medical personnel, the Commissioner told The Guardian that governor Orji had approved the implementation all nationally approved salaries and allowances including keying into the Health Insurance Scheme.

Ogah also said a committee was working out the cost implications of effecting free Maternal and Child health care in the state while the Emergency Ambulance Programme that would convey sick persons to the nearest hospitals would soon take off.

On the problems facing health care delivery in the state, the commissioner listed poor roads and utilities in the rural areas, inadequate manpower and indiscipline among health workers adding that government was striving to address them effectively to effect the reversal.

Corroborating Ogah’s comments, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association, Dr. Kingsley Enweremadu commended the government’s acquisition of the General Hospital Amachara.

“We thank the governor for this and hope that all that is necessary will be put in place to have full compliment of consulting units and requisite equipment in the respective specialties”.

He commended the governor for consistently increasing the budget for health, which came third in priority this year out of the Abia State 2012 Budget outlay of N100 billion broken into N56.9 and N43.10 recurrent and capital expenditure respectively.culled from http://www.ngrguardiannews.com