Counting the gains of Gov. Otti’s healthcare interventions in Abia
By Ogbonnaya Ikokwu
The Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, inherited a healthcare system that was in dire strait on assumption of office on May 29, 2023. At that point, many state-owned hospitals were virtually non-functional, while health workers were poorly motivated to discharge their duties, following the dearth of necessary equipment and backlog of salary arrears.
Doctors in the Abia State University Teaching Hospital were owed 21 months salary arrears, a development that threatened the accreditation of the institution.
Again, civil servants in the Hospitals Management Board were also owed 15 months salary arrears.
It will be recalled that Gov. Otti shortly after his election had pleaded with doctors in the state to suspend their industrial action in to ensure that more damage was not done to the already crawling health system and in the interest of the poor masses who may not be able to pay the exorbitant bills charged by private hospitals.
The governor promised to address headlong, the persistent challenges in the health sector after his inauguration.
It is worthy to note that the health sector was among the sectors the governor declared a state of emergency right from the inauguration podium.
The Labour Party led-government under the watch of Gov. Otti has been working round the clock to
tackle the problem of poor welfare packages for health workers by creating a system of incentives that reward them generously for their sacrifice and commitment to saving and nurturing lives.
The state has also begun to address the challenge of poor facilities in health institutions across the state. The sector has experienced a steady investment in the acquisition of modern medical equipment, appropriate funding and a robust system of partnership with international development agencies.
The State Government is equally working assiduously to improve access to health services for all classes of Abia residents through the renovation and retrofitting of major health institutions in Umuahia, Aba and other major towns.
The timely intervention of the state government in the health sector is already yelding positive results and attracting the attention of the Federal Government and international organisations who are also contributing their owns quotas in improving healthcare in the state.
Recently, Gov. Otti inaugurated a 100-bed sustainable development Multi-purpose Mother-and-Child Hospital, Obeaja in Ugwunagbo Local Government Area built by the Federal Government under the Sustainable development Goals (SDGs).
Many residents of the state have also benefited from free medical outreaches organised by the State Government. Recall that over 5000 residents recently received free treatment, including free surgeries, organised by the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the success recorded by the state Ministry of Health in combating a suspected cholera case in the state was made possible because of the efforts of the current administration toward ensuring that a clean environment and strong healthcare system were in place.
It is on record that all the 112 suspected cases of cholera recorded in eight LGAs of the state have tested negative after their samples were taken to the national reference laboratory in Lagos.
Healthcare workers in the state are still working round the clock to ensure that any emergency is tackled head-on to enable Abia to maintain her cholera-free status.
The resolve of Gov. Otti to transform the health sector is not limited to the renovation of existing health facilities in the state, as he has announced that government will soon flag-off the Abia Medical Village to transform the state into a destination for medical tourism.
The governor emphasized this on July 21, when he received a delegation of the Extended Hands of Grace and Lifted Hands team from the United States of America (USA), who were in the state on a medical mission at Umuekwule Village, Afugiri in Umuahia North LGA .
While describing healthcare as the most important subsector of the state’s economy, he said the medical village would bring what is obtainable in the medical city in Dubai to Abia, when completed.
Gov. Otti said, “Healthcare for us is the most important subsector of our economy.
“In the next few weeks, we will at the minimum be flagging-off our medical village. Our medical village promises to bring in what you have in the medical city in Dubai to Abia.
“We have a team that we have put together that is working on it and majority of them are also in the US.
“I will like the Special Adviser on Health to also engage with those of you who can help. We will be happy to receive your help.
“We have a team from Atlanta and other people that are committed to making it happen.
“What do we intend to achieve? We want in our own little way to reverse medical tourism from India and other parts of the world to Abia.
“Statistics have it that we spend somewhere between USD2 billion and USD2.5 billion annually on medical tourism. Because we are modest and not greedy, we are just targeting 10 per cent of that”.
Health, they say, is wealth, but it is only well equipped hospitals and adequately motivated health workforce that can guarantee a solid health system in the state.
It is gradually becoming obvious that the LP led-administration is determined to ensure that Abians are healthy and also earn revenue through health tourism.
The efforts of the State Government should be supported by all and sundry. Residents of the state should report health emergencies to the appropriate health centres on time to reduce fatalities.
Abia residents should also maintain all the protocols for healthy living, including maintaining a clean and hygienic environment, proper cooking of food, regular hand washing, using hand sanitizer when necessary and avoid buying food prepared and sold in dirty environments.
# The New Abia is here, To God be the glory!
Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, a journalist and public affairs analyst, writes from Umuahia.