Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, on Monday, launched the rehabilitation and retrofitting of 200 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in the state within 100 days.
In a speech at the ceremony held at the Ngwu PHC in Uzuakoli, Bende Local Government Area of Abia, Mr Otti said that building an effective healthcare system in the state remained central to his governance agenda.
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He said the government would “renovate and provide operational infrastructure to the selected 200 PHCs, and the project would be executed within 100 days”.
He said that the initiative, tagged “Project Ekwueme,” would be replicated in all the PHCs in the state and used to improve access to quality healthcare, especially in rural communities.
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The governor also said that the initiative would help reduce exposure to quacks and fake drugs and effectively improve people’s good health and longevity.
He further said the facilities would have an independent power supply from renewable energy sources, an efficient water supply system, and other support infrastructure.
He said this would improve the operational environment, preserve drug supplies and medical consumables, and save cost.
“We are committed to the use of high-quality and durable materials for every step of the construction process because this is our own.
“We shall not tolerate any form of mediocrity as every contractor would be required to provide post-delivery infrastructure maintenance services at the facilities for at least five years.
“Community leaders and other stakeholder groups are encouraged to be part of the project monitoring and evaluation efforts.
“All acts of sabotage or attempt to steal from the facilities shall attract very severe consequences by the Government with the cooperation of our people.
“The security agencies have also been mandated to keep their eyes on what goes on across the 200 project sites and use every legitimate tool available to them to frustrate any effort to scuttle our programme,” Mr Otti said.
He said that the government was prepared to welcome productive partnerships that help to combat the multiple health threats facing the state’s various demographics.
He also said that training programmes would be offered for healthcare professionals to equip them with the evolving trends and new ideas in their operational areas.
Governor Otti expressed the State Government’s resolve to prioritise the transformation of the health sector to improve the socio-economic reality of the citizens.
Cost of project
In a speech, the state Commissioner for Health, Enoch Uche, described the “project 200 PHCs in 100 days” as a vehicle for delivering democracy dividends.
“This project, with a whooping cost of N10.78 billion, covers sites that are identifiable when you move around Abia, clearly making the state a healthcare construction site,” said Mr Uche, a professor.
He said that the project would contribute to addressing the core objective of the third Sustainable Development Goal.
According to him, the government’s primary objective in embarking on the project is to bring healthcare closer to the people.
In a remark, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Ngozi Azodo, said that the “Project Ekwueme” had been designed to have three phases.
“Project Ekwueme has three components, which include ‘200 PHCs in 100 days’, the proof of concept for Abia Medical City, and the transitioning to the college of medicine.
“For this ‘200 PHCs in 100 days’, we have several phases, which are the remodeling, the equipping and, of course, human resources for health,” Mrs Azodo said.
She also said that every political ward in the state would get a functional PHC under the programme.
In separate speeches, the lawmaker representing Bende South State Constituency, Emmanuel Ndubuisi and the Chairperson of Bende LGA, Uwabunkeonye Bassey, thanked the government for the initiative.
According to them, it will improve access to quality healthcare services and reduce the mortality rates in the area.
Appeal for intervention against activities of herders
Also, the President-General of Uzuakoli Development Association, Prince Okechukwu, appealed to the government to evolve programmes and policies to boost agricultural productivity.
Mr Okechukwu also called on the government to rehabilitate the rural roads in the community so that farmers can easily access their farmlands.
He also called for government’s intervention in the constant destruction of crops and farm produce allegedly by cattle herders in the area.
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Earlier, the Health Officer in Charge of Ngwu PHC, Ihuoma Kalu, described the project as a dream come true “because the facility had been in a state of disrepair for a long time”.
“I came to this facility on 8 February 2024 and was dismayed by its awful state, the building was nothing to write home about,” Mrs Kalu said.
She expressed delight over the imminent renovation of the centre and thanked the government for “changing the story of Ngwu PHC for better”.
(NAN)
