Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel has said that his government has continued to maintain free healthcare for pregnant women, hildren and aged people.
The governor, who spoke today, Saturday, when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo commissioned the newly reconstructed and equipped General Hospital at Etinan local government area of the state stressed the importance his government attached to the health of the citizens.
Governor Emmanuel said that his administration decided to intervene in the hospitals rehabilitation and re-equipping in the ten federal constituencies of the state for even spread of secondary health amenities.
He said that all the equipment at the hospital came from the United States of America as his administration’s premium on the health and well-being of the people would not let him compromise on quality.
The governor explained that the facilities will enhance health care delivery at the grassroots and will also make it affordable to the populace.
“We discover that people die from simple medical issues that a well equipped secondary health facility could have handled.”
The governor said that the total turn around in secondary medical facilities was a concerted effort at meeting the basic medical needs of the people and to reduce pressure on tertiary and quaternary medical facilities in the state, adding that the same reconstruction and re-equipping was being witnessed in eight other General Hospitals in the ten federal constituencies in the state.
This was even as the Vice President expressed satisfaction with the quality of the facilities, commending the governor for deliberately impacting on the lives of the grassroots people.
He lauded Governor Emmanuel for setting out to meet the health needs of the people across the state.
“I can say here that the equipment is state of the arts, and that of the 21st century,and there are several trained medical personnel including doctors, and I want to congratulate the people of this community, hoping they will make good use of the facilities to stand the test of time.”
Vice President Osinbajo expressed hope that the ongoing reconstruction of facilities at other General Hospitals in the state, will also be completed as promised, to the benefit of the people.
The Vice President had earlier commissioned the 400 million capacity Syringe Factory and the Meter Manufacturing Company both in Onna as part of activities to mark the 30th anniversary of the state’s creation. [myad]
