FREEPRESSNEWS
On coming into the saddle of leadership in Abia, Governor Alex Chioma Otti saw the rot and urgent need for action in the healthcare sector and promptly declared a state of emergency in line with his vision to revive critical parts of the Abia economy.
Health is wealth and a healthy Abian is a productive Abian who will contribute from his potential into the expansion of the wealth of God’s own state.
The mantra of returning efficient and reliable social services as the centerpiece of governance has spurred the governor, Dr Alex Otti to order the revitalisation of all public hospitals across the senatorial zones of the state particularly the general hospitals and primary health care centre’s.
Thus in line with his vision of a renewed hope in the health sector, the governor set a timeline for his administration to rehabilitate at the least one general hospital in each of the three senatorial zones in the state within his first three months in office.
Governor Otti not only set this timeline but instituted the free medical services for pensioners, the elderly and the indigent in line with his believe that the health of the people comes first and nothing else should be considered a higher priority.
Particularly, the governor insists that no effort should be spared in reviving moribund hospitals and health facilities in the state bringing them back to full functionality for the benefit of Abians.
The first visit by the Honourable commissioner for health Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo to the Amachara general hospital and the Abia Specialist hospital and diagnostic centre for an on the spot assessment in line with the governors vision and directive, left her and her team depressed, despondent and in tears!
Indeed these state owned health care facilities had been left to decay by the previous administration to the point of being shutdown while it’s workers had stopped reporting for work owing to low morale and a backlog of unpaid salaries.
The situation was really grim and the task before his excellency and the commissioner for health was really daunting and only the brave could dare to tackle it. The general hospital Amachara which was originally known as Methodist hospital Amachara and was first opened in the year 1932, was left in a rot before the coming to office of the current administration. Same was the state of the Abia Specialist hospital and diagnostic centre.
Immediate steps were taken by Dr Alex Otti’s government to renovate the structures at the Amachara general hospital, the Abia Specialist hospital and diagnostic centre and the eye care clinic. Modern state of the art equipment were procured for these health care facilities by the people oriented and loving Governor.
A visit to these facilities after being retrofitted gladdens the heart of the pure in heart. Even detractors have come to agree that a breath of fresh air has come upon the Abia health sector with the coming to office of Dr Alex Otti as governor.
With the provision of modern facilities for consultation, surgery, diagnosis, sterilisation and recovery, these health facilities have begun to attend to the needs of Abians and indeed non-Abians adequately in consonance with Dr Otti’s rebuild Abia initiative by significantly improving the health status of the people and to banish the shadows of darkness and the blighted glory of the state.
Power, water supply, waste management and post rehabilitation management protocols will ensure that these facilities and equipment do not decay because partnerships have been forged to make certain that equipment provided will continue to serve the health interests of the people for a long time.
Special assistant to the governor on special duties Dr Mrs Betty Emeka Obasi took up the rehabilitation of the Eye centre passionately and accomplished the governors vision in record time.
Specifically, the following were achieved at the Amachara general hospital and the Abia Specialist diagonistic centre both in Umuahia by this government:
1 Re-equipping of the general out-patient department (GOPD)
2 completion and Re-equipping of Accident and Emergency department
3 Equipping the radiology department with mammogram, x-ray and ultrasound machines
4 Equipping of the laboratory with state of the art facilities
5 Expansion and Re-equipping two major theatres
6 provision of consulting and nursing sections.
It is however instructive to note that Governor Alex Otti clearly spelt it out that the hospital was reopened for use after renovation and Re-equipping. Some detractors and nollywood misfits turned political jobbers have come out on social media to accuse the governor of commissioning hospitals he didn’t build. They further alleged that the peoples Governor gave the impression that he built them.
One by the name Doris Ogala launched a tirade against the governor accusing him of lying to the people particularly Abians. Nothing can be farther from the truth! Abians can not be fooled, no not again! They know the truth because they decided to liberate themselves from cruel, wicked shackles of the previous repressive PDP government. They have embraced the light embodied and exemplified by the labour party’s government of Dr Alex Otti.
Not too long from now, more hospitals hitherto run down and thus shutdown will be reopened for use because they are being refurbished and retrofitted with state of the art healthcare facilities.
Aba cottage hospital is gearing up to be reopened as rehabilitation work and Re-equipping is almost completed.
Kudos to the governors Amazon’s in the person’s of Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo and Dr Mrs Betty Emeka Obasi. Kudos to the amiable Dr Alex Chioma Otti for his well thought out health plan for the good people of Abia.
Surely the first fruits of the reset push in Abia health care is sweet.