The Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. David Umahi, has launched a N1 billion comprehensive health programme for the state.
Umahi announced this during a meeting he held with major health stakeholders,and development partners at the Government House in Abakaliki.
He said at the launch on Wednesday: “With gratitude to Almighty God and appreciation of your commitments and partnership and support, I wish to flag off a comprehensive health programme of Ebonyi State with the sum of NI billion.
“This money has been set aside and transferred to the account of the Ministry of Health.”
The governor added that his administration had already set aside over N500 million for its Save One Million Lives in the state.
Umahi said: “Let me remind you that we have about $1.5 million for Save One Million Lives.
“It is already there in the account, which in my calculation is about N500 million plus.
“So, we have a total of N1.5 billion in the account.”
Umahi pointed out that under the programme, 285 primary health centres in the state would be properly equipped to meet international standard,especially in laboratories and storage facilities.
He said: “What we want is to start a programme like it is done outside this country.
“We have 13 General Hospitals and since we came on board, we have been working on them.
“Regrettably, when you go to these General Hospitals, like my caretaker chairmen have been going, you will discover that they can make you feel sick.
“In fact, if you are healthy and you go there, you will automatically become sick and so it is something of regret.
“It is not acceptable to us.
“We emphasise the need for laboratory.
“We want to look at our staffing, we want to look at equipment, we want to look at drugs, we want to look at their maintenance.
“These are what we also want to do with our six mission hospitals.
“We believe that the most important thing for as a government is the health of our people.”
“The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Daniel Umezurike, while presenting the report, entitled: “Ebonyi State Strategic Framework for Health Sector: A Holistic Approach,” assured the stakeholders that the ministry was ready to achieve a sustainable health system in the state.
Umezurike said the health programme was mainly on how to improve health care delivery system to the people and that it looks at four building blocks – physical infrastructure, human resource for health, hospital equipment and operational fund.
A representative of UNICEF, Dr. Agatha Nzeribe, said the organisation has spent N64 million on health and nutritional programme in the area.
Nzeribe appreciated the state government for addressing the issues raised during the advocacy visit of the organisation.