Minister promises medical centres across N’Delta communities

Worried by the poor state of healthcare delivery in the Niger Delta region, the Niger Delta Minister, Umana Okon Umana, has disclosed plans by the ministry to establish medical centres across rural communities in the region.

Speaking during a medical outreach, yesterday, in Nsit Ubium, Akwa Ibom State, Umana said the envisaged medical facilities would give people at the grassroots access to basic healthcare facilities and critical modern medical services.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Olufunso Adebiyi, Umana explained that the outreach was an expression of the ministry’s mandate and aspiration to improve human development indices of people in the region.

Umana stated: “We are working hard to reach out to the grassroots, We’re making another promise that we will try to provide a medical centre for this community so that this community will have at least regular basic medical services.”

He added that the medical facility would be replicated in communities across the region in a deliberate effort by the Federal Government to build a better Niger Delta region.

Umana explained that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs “is taking positive steps to respond to healthcare needs and other development issues in the region to drive Federal Government’s initiatives that would make lives of the people better.

“We have also approved this programme in four local governments in this state and we will be approving more of such not only for this state but other states in the Niger Delta region.”

The minister, who identified staffing shortages as a major challenge facing the outreach programme, added that funding constraint also caused those limitations.

Director, Community Development and Education (CDE) of the ministry, Mr. Adamu Sabo, said the plan for the outreach programme benefited from inputs from Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health and the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHDA), where the healthcare professionals used for the programme were sourced from.

Sabo reported that more than 1,000 people had received help for various medical conditions, including surgeries and eye care, since the outreach programme kicked off.

Chairman, Nsit Ubium, Iniobong Orok, commended government for the healthcare programme and promised land for the building of the planned medical facility.

The medical outreach, which was branded Integrated Medical Outreach 2022, was organised by the ministry for the indigenes of Ikot Edibon, Nsit Ubium Council in Akwa Ibom State.