Gov. of Delta State Ifeanyi Okowa said his administration has done very well in the implementation of the Universal Health Coverage, pointing out that more than 300, 000 Deltans have enrolled for the health programme.
While presenting the budget proposal for the 2019 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly in Asaba on Wednesday, October 17, Okowa observed that Delta State recorded a great feat as the first state in the federation to launch the Universal Health Coverage.
According to him, the number of those who had enrolled in the health programme as at September 30, 2018, stood at 316,301. He noted that “the Scheme had been commended nationally as it received awards for the Outstanding State Government Healthcare Programme of the Year 2017; and the State with the most people covered under its State Social Health Insurance Scheme with a focus on the Poor and Vulnerable population in Nigeria 2018.”
He continued: “to ensure quality and efficient service delivery under the scheme, the State Executive Council recently approved the renovation of 107 primary health centres across the State.
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“We have taken delivery of the Doctors and Nurses Quarters at the Government Hospital, Ofagbe, while medical equipment for the Dialysis Centre at the Central Hospital, Warri has been procured; we have also undertaken the renovation and rehabilitation of the General Hospital, Bomadi and rehabilitation of facilities at the Cottage Hospital, Ogriagbene also in Bomadi, among others.”
Okowa expressed his appreciation to people of the state for their cooperation which made it possible for his administration to record successes in the delivery of democratic dividends, promising that, “the health sector will continue to receive priority attention in the 2019 fiscal year; the State ambulance scheme is being reactivated; when operational, it would cover Asaba, Warri, Eku, Abraka, Ughelli and Agbor, among others.
“The ambulance scheme is designed to ensure immediate response to convey accident victims to the nearest health facility; boat ambulances would be used to cover the riverine communities while we also intend to revive the use of mobile doctors to deliver healthcare to the people.”
He disclosed that the sum of N8.6 billion has been proposed for the health sector in the 2019 fiscal year.
