By Roland Ike
In a.bid to reposition the health sector and improve service delivery in Ebonyi State, Governor Francis Nwifuru has approved N11.5b for the development of general hospitals in the State.
The fund is mainly for the procurement of equipment and consumables in the hospitals.
The Executive Secretary of Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency (EBSHIA), Dr Divine Igwe told newsmen in Abakaliki Wednesday that Governor Nwifuru was poised to transforming the health sector and making health care delivery more accessible and affordable to the people.
“The State Governor, His Excellency Francis Nwifuru, has approved N11.5 billion for equipment and consumables in general hospitals,
“The governor and his wife have played significant roles to ensure that all the general hospitals in the state are efficient and functional.”
Igwe said that the state government has been supporting the Agency tremendously to ensure better health care delivery in the state.
To this end he said, the Agency is committed to enhancing universal health care delivery across Ebonyi State.towards achieving all its set goals in the people’s interest.
The Executive Secretary stated that 75.2% of all the funds that go to the Agency return to the Primary Health Care Centers and other hospitals through capitation and service fees.
“This is to ensure continuous availability of essential drugs, human resources and others.
“Governor Nwifuru has enhanced the referral process from primary to secondary health facilities by employing additional health workers into the general hospitals.
“He also provided incentives to medical doctors by giving them brand new SUVs, a monthly vehicle maintenance of N150,000 as well as purchasing ambulances for the general hospitals.”
Igwe said that work had commenced on rural roads to ensure quick access to hospitals, noting that the Agency had included the National Obsterics Fistula Centre (NOFIC), David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH) and Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Teaching hospital (AE-FETHA) as supportive facilities.
