In a move to stem capital flight, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo
Wike has announced that the State Government will construct an
international Specialist Hospital to handle life-threatening
ailments.
Governor Wike also announced that the Rivers State Government has
commenced the process of equipping the Braithwaite Specialist
Memorial Hospital in Port Harcourt.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by Prof Mike Ogirima, the National
President of Nigerian Medical Association, Governor Wike said that the
proposed New Specialist Hospital will promote medical tourism in
Rivers State.
According to the governor, the new specialist hospital will have a
helipad, modern equipment for the treatment of cancer, kidney, heart
and liver diseases.
He said: “The new specialist hospital that we are working on will
stem the foreign trips by Nigerians for healthcare services. We want
to conserve foreign exchange for the country.”
The governor stated that his administration has released funds for the
completion of the Ultra-modern Mother and Child Hospital in Port
Harcourt. He said that hospital will be ready in four months,
following the termination of the joint ownership agreement with the
Niger Delta Development Commission.
On the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, Governor Wike said
that the State Government has released $4million to the contractor
for modern equipment to lift the capacity of the hospital to
international standard.
He added that doctors and medical professionals of the hospital will
undergo training on the use of the new state-of-the-art facilities.
The governor informed that the Degema Zonal Hospital will be completed
in three months, following the release of N500million to the
contractor. He added that other Donald Hospitals will be completed.
He announced that his administration will commence the phased
distribution of vehicles to doctors on the payroll of the state
government in the course of the year.
He said: “For us, our major focus has shifted from infrastructure to
health and education. That is why you are seeing the rapid
investments in health and education. We are committed to improved
healthcare for our people “.
Earlier, the National President of Nigerian Medical Association, NMA,
Prof Mike Ogirima said: “We appreciate the giant strides and
commitment of Governor Wike toward the health sector in Rivers State
and the health of our citizens”.
The NMA President said: “The setting up of a College of Medical
Sciences at the Rivers State University, the State Teaching Hospital
with the signing of the Bill into law to actualize it, the completion
of new blocks in BMSH in order to raise quality of care and the
commitment to see the Mother and Child Hospital completed as a legacy
project.
“The massive intervention in the renovation of otherwise moribund
secondary healthcare institutions in the state with the simultaneous
rehabilitation of several General Hospitals and the approval of the
implementation of the corrected Consolidated Medical Salary Scale for
doctors in Rivers State service “.
The NMA President endorsed the special award and recognition proposed
by the National Private Doctors Association for Governor Wike