Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has articulated that a robust healthcare system is a fundamental pillar for national wellbeing and sustained economic growth.
He emphasised that only a healthy population is capable of creating wealth and driving meaningful development.
This statement was delivered on his behalf by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Elvert Ayambem, during an event reviewing the administration’s performance.
Governor Otu used the occasion to detail significant achievements in the state’s health sector over the past two years. A cornerstone of this progress has been the comprehensive renovation and equipping of 82 Primary Health Centres across the state, ensuring broader access to basic medical services.
Furthermore, dialysis centres in Calabar and Ogoja have been upgraded, and a new General Hospital has been constructed in Ikom to enhance secondary healthcare delivery.
The administration has also focused on medical education, securing full accreditation for four Colleges of Nursing and Midwifery. Critical infrastructure has seen a revival with the equipping of the Fistula Centre in Calabar and reconstruction work at the previously non-functional College Hospital in Akamkpa, Ukem Hospital in Odukpani, and facilities in Akpabuyo.
Complementing these infrastructural upgrades are key programs aimed at citizens’ welfare. The Sweet Prince Palliative Healthcare Programme offers free medical services to vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, children under five, and senior citizens. This operates alongside a functional State Health Insurance Scheme. In a strategic partnership with UNICEF, medical oxygen plants are currently being established in Calabar and Ogoja to improve critical care.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, commended the governor for his unwavering commitment to public health, noting it truly reflects his “People First” agenda.
This sentiment was echoed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Hilary Bisong, who agreed that the administration has made remarkable strides in revitalizing primary healthcare and extending essential services to rural communities.
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cc: Daily Post NG
