In line with constitutional provisions, the Delta State House of Assembly Committee on Health, Friday, visited Central Hospitals in Ughelli, Sapele and Warri, in Ughelli North, Sapele and Warri South local government areas, on overnight duties.
Led by its Chairman, Hon (Chief) Ferguson Onwo, the Committee, amongst other issues raised during the visits, called for partnership between the State Ministry of Health, the Hospital Management Board, HMB, and relevant organizations towards achieving quality health services in Delta state.
Hon Onwo who represents Isoko South 2 Constituency in the House, said supporting the state government deliver the health care needs of the people should be of great interest to all critical stakeholders.
The Lawmaker flanked by other members of the committee, lauded Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who he said his administration has done very well in improving the state’s health sector.
According to Onwo, the administration is investing heavily on modern medical equipments, upgrade of health facilities and staffing in the hospitals, despite pressing demands in other sectors of the economy seeking funding simultaneously from the state government.
The Lawmaker explained that there was the need for investors to invest in the equipping the hospitals as government can not do it alone, saying that more standard and modern health facilities were required in the hospitals.
He called on the public health institutions to among other tasks, improve their revenue generation base, be more innovative and seek partnership with manufacturers of health equipments to bridged the gaps of shortfalls and maintenance of health facilities.
The Lawmaker commended management of Central Hospitals, Ughelli and Warri for investing in modern equipments, which he said have attracted more medicare seekers to the hospitals for quality health care services, even as he charged others in the state to be progressive minded at all times.
On the abandoned Desopadec projects spanning over ten years at Central hospitals Sapele and Warri, Onwo flanked by three members of the Committee, Hon Perkins Umukoro, Festus Utuama and Mathew Omonade, appealed for the completion of the projects to enhance health care delivery in the institutions.
The Health Committee Chairman advised management of government’s owed hospitals in the state to always be handy with contacts of Contractors executing projects in the hospitals for easy tracking whenever projects awarded to them were abandoned.
Onwo noted that good healthcare to Deltans is a major component of the MORE agenda of Oborevwori’s led administration, stressing that government expects more commitment from health givers in the state as “Health is Wealth”.
Chairman of the Hospital Management Board, HMB, Dr Paul Oweh, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Paul Okubo, commended the Assembly Committee on Health for the oversight visits, adding that the exercise would improved quality health care delivery in the state.
Dr Oweh assured that the Board is determined for more collaboration with relevant bodies and organizations to provide quality health care services to deltans as well as enhance revenue generation in the hospitals
He said HMB would do more on attitudinal change among the health workers and to motivate them in providing services to health care seekers through regular training and retraining.
Dr Oweh called on all to be patriotic, stressing that all health workers must not leave the shores of Nigeria to seek greener pastures abroad.
He added that the state government is doing well in terms of good remuneration for health workers.
