By Emma Elekwa, Onitsha

Governorship aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 6 elections in Anambra state, Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe has promised to revamp the 629 primary healthcare centres, health clinics and health posts in Anambra State if elected.

She said her government would achieve the feat and other healthcare challenges of the state through a bottom-up approach.

Speaking on Friday ahead of the party primary, Onyemelukwe regretted that the state remained challenged in the healthcare service delivery sector despite modest efforts of successive administrations.

She said, “We have outlined a bottom-up approach in our manifesto. Our plan is to provide the 629 primary healthcare centres, health clinics and health posts in Anambra State with water and basic sanitation, adequate staffing, decent remuneration, beddings, nets and healthcare consumables.

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“We also intend to gradually, dependent on available resources and competing priorities, pursue a phased closure of the infrastructure gaps that exist at these PHCs.

“The pressure on secondary and tertiary healthcare institutions will be reduced if PHCs are fixed and supported to regain the confidence of the citizens to approach them for their basic healthcare needs.”

Onyemelukwe, daughter to former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme also assured that the state’s infant and maternal mortality rates and life expectancy would be improved if her bottom-up public health policy was vigorously implemented.

She further pledged her government’s readiness to support the state’s health insurance scheme to broaden its subscriber base as well as institutionalize periodic subventions from the state government to qualifying faith-based and other private healthcare service providers.

“Our plan is to help it deliberately target and enroll those in the organised private sector. We plan to employ instruments like tax rebates and other incentives to bring this specific corporate user group in. Once they are in, then the system can reach out to capture the undeserved in the informal sector.

“Healthcare service delivery is a critical component of our #RESTOREAnambra plan. You have my assurances, we will vigorously pursue people-oriented healthcare programmes if given the opportunity,” Onyemelukwe stated.