HEALTHCARE DELIVERY IN ABIA UNDER IKPEAZU

 
#AbiaOnline
A popular aphorism posited that “health indeed is wealth”. By Paraphrasing the above stated dictum, it remains apposite to penetratingly assert that a healthy community is a wealthy one.
Such has been one of mantras of the current administration in Abia State as led by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu PhD, that the health sector has been taken so seriously with state-of-the-art equipments provided to the citizens to make life something better than a mean satisfaction of ugly wants.
In the main, the Health sector is intertwined to all other sectors of the State, because functional and affordable healthcare considerably affects the performance of the workforce and the populace generally. Hence, very important in every sense of the word to give premium attention to the Health sector by the three tiers of government especially, when good financial fortunes are fleeced away from the nation’s purse on grounds of health tourism.
How has Abia under Governor ikpeazu performed as regards providing adequate and affordable healthcare to Abians?
The health sector has improved in leaps and bounds since the advent of the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration. Point of note is that the Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu appointed a core professional in the field, practising in the United Kingdom (UK), to man the Health ministry in the person of Dr. Gozie Ahukanna. His experience and Midas touch has invaluably changed the narrative in the health sector of Abia State, which is recognized under the present Democratic dispensation as an “enabler” to driving the economy.
The State Government has between 2015 to this day, scored a point by implementing the WHO/FMOH model of one primary Healthcare (PHC) for each political ward. Presently, the State can boost of 292 WHO recognized health centers across its length and breadth in addition to primary healthcare under one roof (PHCUOR) thus, aligning with international best practices. The implication is that Abians now has unfettered access to health facilities. Therefore, the challenge of travelling long distances during health emergency has been solved.
The Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s people oriented administration also within the year under review made available the N100 million counterpart funding for BHCPF, the first in the history of God’s Own State which in turn attracted the $1.5million grant for the Save One Million Lives Program for results that is being implemented in Abia since June 2017.
It is under this result orientated administration, that the Canadian Government is collaborating with the State for the Integrated Community Case Management (ICCM), taking care of the three childhood killer diseases of Malaria, Diarrhoea and Pneumonia being anchored by Society for family Health (on behalf of WHO\Canadian Government). This project is now in its transition phase to full management by the Government which has in no small means reduced the infant mortality rate to its barest minimum in Abia.
There is also a synergy with the organised private sector by the State Government in taking the health sector to halcyon heights. Some of these includes the MTN Foundation funding 2 Primary health Centers PHCs in their new programme, “What we can do together campaign” in Ikwuano and Arochukwu LGAs. Another is assisting in building 4 ultramodern maternal and child wards at Okpuala Ngwa, Owaza, ABSUTH and Abia Specialist Hospital in Amachara Umuahia.
Just in the recent, the Governor, Dr.. Okezie ikpeazu commissioned a General Hospital in Obingwa, built with accommodation facilities for medical personnel. There is also three new hospitals situated at Arochukwu, Ikwuano and Okeikpe that is almost completed. The benefits are multifarious, as world class hospitals would have been evenly spread across the three senatorial districts of the state on completion, in manifestation of the “Okezuo Abia” mantra.
The Aba General Hospital that suffered utter neglect and abandonment over the years, has been brought back to life by this masses friendly Government of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and today the then moribund hospital is providing quality healthcare delivery to Abians. The merits is that citizens would have better options as against the cut throat prices of many privately-owned-ill-equiped hospitals.
Going forward to discourage medical tourism which is an ill-wind that blows the nation’s purse no good, the State is working with a Hospital Group in the US to actualise the Obuaku Medical City, and the East Coast Medical Group in the USA for a Specialized Organ Transplant Centre in the old Aba General Hospital while Capital Health Surgical Group is upgrading the specialist Hospital, Amachara to an Urgent Care Centre. This are bold visionary steps by the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu administration to make Abia a health tourist hub.
The State’s far reaching actions and policies attracted the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), beneficiary pilot state status attracted N1.5billion from the World Bank following the successful hosting by Abia State in January 2017, of the 59th National Council on Health. It is targeted that these monies would be mindfully directed to the 292 PHCs to ensure and improve quality health care delivery to Abians.
The present administration has ensured the Re_Accreditation of undergraduate medical training for new doctors at ABSUTH and working on the reaccreditation of post graduate training schools in obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery and pediatric medicine.
In the last one year, Abia State has launched the first of its kind free home care services for senior citizens with equipped facilities including vehicles for seamless transportation of the aged to the facility centers. Such programme is designed to seamlessly run with the employment of well trained geriatrician with international experiences and other medical personnel trained to reach the beneficiaries in the three senatorial districts of the State. This is targeted at increasing longevity of Abia senior citizens, especially those without whom to cater for them.
Towards reducing the mother-child mortality rate in the State, Abia is building a new Mother and child specialist Hospital which is about being commissioned in the State capital, Umuahia.
In her own contribution, the benevolent wife of Abia Governor, Deaconess Nkechi Ikpeazu, has been magnanimously footing the hospital bills of many Abians and sundry health related assistance through the Vicar Hope foundation.
No wonder, the State recorded improved Health indicators compared to other States and national averages as verifiable from data available with the World Health Organization (WHO).
Little wonder that when the nation’s vice president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, had nothing but praise for Dr Okezie Ikpeazu when he visited the State recently for the launching of the State’s Tele-Health Initiative, “Dial a Doc”, an innovative healthcare project which is another high for the Ikpeazu administration.
The vice president had this to say, “every time I have come to this State, I see some landmark improvement or the other and I am extremely proud of the work he (Ikpeazu) has been doing”.
Above all, the improvements in the health sector in the state has considerably reflected in the lives of all citizens of the State. All well meaning Abians are therefore encouraged to support the current administration as greater democratic dividends are further provided for all Abians.