GOV OKOWA HAS DONE WELL IN ALL SECTORS, INCLUDING HEALTH — Ofa

The Okowa administration has made far reaching policies aimed at meeting the health care needs of Deltans, one of them the successful implementation of the Contributory Health Scheme.

A PDP chieftain in the state and second member of the State Post Primary Education Board (PPEB), Dr Henry Ofa, who stated this while speaking on the giant strides of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, noted that the Contributory Health Scheme was designed to deliver health care services to all at relatively affordable cost.

Dr Ofa said Governor Okowa’s passion for quality health care could be attributed to the fact that he is a well trained medical doctor who graduated from the nation’s premier University, the University of Ibadan at an unusual age of 22.

He added that the Governor played a major role in the establishment of the National Health insurance Scheme and was pivotal to the first National Health Summit in the history of Nigeria when he served as chairman, Senate Committee on Health.

The PDP stalwart said it was on the merit of the success of the National Health insurance Scheme that the Okowa administration proposed a law for the establishment of the State Contributory Health Commission, which is now history.

Dr Ofa pointed out that the move was meant to simultaneously attain two noble goals of enhancing accessibility to high quality medicare, as well as raise funds for the provision of health care services in the state.

He noted that the Okowa administration had also undertaken a total overhaul of the health sector through the tenacious execution of various projects, including the total renovation, equipping and furnishing of the General Hospital Abavo, renovation and re-equipping of the children’s ward of the Patani General Hospital and the supply of hospital equipment to Bomadi General Hospital.

The PPEB second member also listed the remodeling of the Renal Dialysis Building of the Central Hospital Warri, ordering of completion of outstanding works at the Asaba Central Hospital, as well as the supply of medical equipment to Government Hospitals and Primary Health Care facilities across the state.

Dr Ofa said it was in recognition of Governor Okowa’s rare vision for the health sector that the International Human Rights Commission honoured him with the prestigious Order of the Pride of Africa and the 2016 Mandela Medal for Long Walk to Freedom award, among other numerous awards.