Rivers, partners HYPREP to strengthen healthcare services in Ogoniland

In a bid to enhance healthcare services in Ogoniland, the Rivers State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).

The partnership, aimed at ensuring that healthcare facilities in the region provide quality services, is said to align with the goals of making healthcare accessible and affordable for the people of Ogoniland.

The Rivers State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, while speaking during a courtesy visit to the Project Coordination Office of HYPREP, stated that the ministry is keen to work closely with HYPREP to ensure that the people of Ogoniland are not left behind in terms of access to healthcare.

The commissioner said that one of the key pillars of the Rivers State health agenda is strengthening the accessibility of quality healthcare services, both geographically and financially.

She added that the soon-to-be-commissioned specialist hospital and cottage hospital in Ogoniland, facilitated by HYPREP, will significantly enhance access to quality healthcare services for the people of Ogoniland.

She said: “We, on our part in the Rivers State government through the Rivers State Ministry of Health, along with the Hospitals Management Board, have also furthered discussions with HYPREP today on how we can assist in ensuring that the quality of services provided in those facilities aligns with the goals and the mindset that brought those facilities into existence. This is specifically around manpower, and we will be working closely with HYPREP to ensure the deployment of a skilled health workforce to the cottage hospital following commissioning and, of course, formal handover.”

Dr. Oreh noted that the Ministry of Health will work closely with HYPREP to ensure the deployment of a skilled health workforce to the cottage hospital following commissioning and formal handover.

She also noted that the ministry is awaiting the operational framework for the specialist hospital, which will be outlined by the HYPREP governing council.

Responding, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, said the partnership with the Rivers State Government has been cordial, noting that the project recognized it cannot provide support to the Ogoni people alone.

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He disclosed to the commissioner that HYPREP has been conducting medical outreach programs in Ogoni, which have revealed a pattern of visual impairment among the people.

He further disclosed that a comprehensive Ogoni health study, led by the World Health Organization, will also be conducted to investigate the relationship between exposure to hydrocarbon contamination and human health.

To address this issue, Prof. Zabbey requested the Rivers State Commissioner of Health to integrate eye care services into their healthcare posting.

The partnership between HYPREP and the Rivers State Government, according to Zabbey, will also focus on providing access to potable water, which is essential for the health and well-being of the people.

He said: “Our partnership with the Rivers State Government through the Ministry of Health has been cordial, and we cannot do it alone in providing support to the Ogoni people. HYPREP, as a project, cannot do it alone because those facilities are owned by the state government. So, we knew from the beginning that the Ministry of Health is a very important stakeholder in the framework of the operation. We’ve been working with the Ministry of Health right from the time we strengthened the four hospitals in Ogoni.”

He added that in the next three weeks, the Minister of Environment and Chairman of the HYPREP Governing Council, Malam Balarabe Abas Lawal, will commission two new water schemes that will supply potable water to many communities.

By the end of the year, Zabbey disclosed, HYPREP aims to provide potable water to 70 more communities in Ogoni.

He added: “HYPREP is providing potable water schemes in Ogoni, and in the next three weeks, the Honourable Minister of Environment and Chairman of the Governing Council of HYPREP, Malam Balarabe Abas Lawal, will be coming to commission two new water schemes. These are very big water schemes that will reticulate potable water to many communities. If you consider the Igberu water project, for example, it will supply potable water to seven communities, so it’s massive. We will continue to commission water projects, and we expect that before the end of this year, seventy more communities in Ogoni will have access to potable water.”