REVOLUTIONARY STRIDE OF DR. OKEZIE IKPEAZU IN THE HEALTH SECTOR.

#AbiaOnline
Albert Einstein, posited thus “I believe life is constantly testing us for our level of commitment and life greatest reward are for those who demonstrated a never ending commitment to act until they achieve”. A retrospective view of last two (2)years of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as the Governor of Abia State reflect the Einstein’s school of thought in a proper perspective, more so in his commitment to delivery system.
The healthcare delivery system of Abia State was somewhere not to be so proud of before his advent in the political terrain, but today, barely 24 months of his ascension to power in Abia State as the forth (4th) Democratically elected Governor of the State, the story has arithmetically and dramatically changed for all to see.
It was only 3 months into his administration, that Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu worked his way into the heart of the World Health Organization to win the ‘Save One Million Lives ” fund at the tune of $1.5million dollars to Abia state, among 16 other States of the federation that benefited from the fund.
This fund is meant to tackle head long and reduce, the mobility and mortality rate in the six (6) key areas of live threatening diseases and interventions among the women of childbearing age and children under 5 years.
Before Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu came to the throne of Abia state Governance, the schools of Nursing and Midwifery in the state were both in moribund form and lacked re_accreditation, but today, all the school of Nursing and midwifery in Abiriba, Aba, Amachara and Umuahia had all been resuscitated both in infrastructure and re_ accreditation leading to full academic activities in these schools.
Due to the passionate attention Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu had given to the health sector, MTN foundation renovated and re_equipped the four (4) maternal wards at ABSUTH Aba, General Hospital Okpuala Ngwa, cottage Hospital, owaza and Amachara General Hospital to encourage the Governor in his revolutionary approach to health delivery services to Ndi Abia.
Today as we Speak, the operationalization of four (4)100 beds hospitals at Okikpe,Mgboko, Arochukwu, starting with that of Obingwa which had since kicked off. Earlier, the staff quarters in those hospitals has all been completed to ensure a 24 hour services to the people.
In the last 2 years of Dr.Okezie Ikpeazu administration, history has been made in the college of health sciences and managing technology as the college had been upgraded from monotechnic to polytechnic by having all its courses accreditated by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). Not only that, the college now offers computer science, statistics and public Nursing, public Health Technology, community Health Technology information Management system all at HND levels.
Abia State under the able leadership of Dr.Okezie Ikpeazu is currently piloting the implementation of the community driven rapid access expansion project (RASE) of the integrated community care Management (ICCM) for southern Nigeria. The project funded by the Canadian Government (Global Affairs Canada) through WHO with society for family Health has made appreciable impact on the intervention on episode of malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea in children between 2_59month.
The Abia state Government under the untiring leadership of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has shown as unquantifiable commitment to solving the scourge malaria in its entirety through the distribution of medicated and long lasting insecticide Nets, distribution of intermittent protection therapy and supportive supervision as well as achieving 78% from 59% reporting rate in malaria intervention.
The Abia State Ministry of Health through the encouragement of our unrelenting Governor Dr. Okezie Ikeazu has recorded 7.9% reduction of HIV/AIDS from 3.9% through regular administration of Direct observed Therapy and ART. In conjunction with the carter center the state recorded average of 65% coverage in onchocerciasis ,lymphatic filliariasis ,schistosomiasis and soil Helminths.
After the hosting of 59th edition of National council on Health hosted by the Abia state Government under Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, the first of its kind in the south Eastern Nigeria, Abia state attracted N1.5Billion Naira Basic Healthcare provision fund (BHCPF) as one of the pilots states in Nigeria together with Niger and Osun states only. This fund provided by the federal Ministry of Health is to carter for all spheres of Health care delivery in Abia starting from July 2017 and the 292 PHCS will receive direct fund from FMOH in this fund.
In the 58th edition of National council on Health held in sokoto in 2015 the Abia state commissioner for Health, Dr.John Ahukannah submitted a memo on the emergency medical services provision, today Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has adopted the system and implemented it.
The Abia State under Governor Okezie Ikpeazu established a Multi Drug Resistance ward at the federal medical center, Umuahia and embarked upon the installation of culture laboratory at Amachara specialist Hospital, gave free treatment to T.B patients in one hundred and two (102)Direct observed Therapy (DOT) center at 5 hospitals in the state of ohafia ,Amachara, FMC Umuahia, SDA Aba and ABSUTH Aba.These are in effort to intervene in the TB prevention and treatment.
Abia State established a healthcare system called Abia Tele_Health with a company “Dial_A_Doc”. Direct consults .This is a mechanism for easy access to medical services to the rural dwellers and as we speak 15 primary Health care center are being used as pilot center 5-PHCs each in the 3 senatorial Zones of Abia state.
For decades, past Abia State Government has lacked the political will to establish the medical and Dental council of Nigeria. Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu led Government had inaugurated this council to checkmate the excesses of medical practice and make it confirm the international best practices in Abia state for once.
The Okezie Ikpeazu led Government had expanded the opportunity of the prospective Abia Medical students by revalidating the MOU between the state Ministry of Health and Gregory University to use the specialist Hospital and Diagnostic center, Amachara as the Gregory university Teaching Hospital.
All these were just two years in office only and the man of the moment, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu (Ph.D) had projected to renovate and equip all the tertiary health institutions in Abia State with Ultra modern equipment to make abia state Health system, a Tourist center in Nigeria.
The Abia state Governor Dr. Okezie within this period approved and funded the Abia State Teaching Hospital (ABUSTH) to upgrade the teaching facilities in the college of medicine with ultra modern equipment which resulted in the re_accreditation of the courses that list accreditation due to antiquated learning facilities.
Wayne dyer once said that “Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything”. And this is the story of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu in Abia state Governance in the Health sector in about 24 months on the saddle.