Ebonyi State Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru inherited a health sector that was on the verge of collapse. But eight months after he took over, he is turning things around, reports Ogochukwu Anioke (Abakaliki).
The health system in Ebonyi State when Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru took over was in a shambles and suffering from serious brain drain popularly referred to as the ‘japa syndrome’ as health workers joined their colleagues across the country.
Then, the state health sector had just few medical doctors and a handful of nurses. The Primary Health Care Centres (PHC) were mostly moribund; same with the General Hospitals. While the previous administration committed a lot of funds to the health sector, allocating the highest amount to it in a particular year, it remained comatose.
This is because the majority of the funds went into funding tertiary health, especially the construction of the ultra-modern new Health University and Teaching Hospital in Uburu.
The institution was later handed over to the Federal Government just like the administration of Governor Martin Elechi handed over the State University Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki to the Federal Government, which was merged with the Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki to become the Federal Teaching Hospital and now Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki.
The implication of these handovers is that though the state has built two quality teaching hospitals, it has none as they were handed over to the Federal Government.
Overtime, the Federal Government was unable to properly manage and fund the Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki, leading to dilapidation of the place.The previous administration had to step in from time to time to ensure that the place remained afloat and catered to the health challenges of the people as it was probably the only functional health institution in the state. Its collapse would have been a total collapse of the entire health sector.
The previous administration also undertook rehabilitation of the General Hospitals. However, this largely involved physical upgrade of the structures, perimeter fencing and other ancillary works.
Inside, there were not enough bed spaces for patients, little or no supply of medical equipment and drugs and, most importantly, inadequate medical personnel to treat patients.
This means that the Teaching Hospital, while still battling with poor funding from the Federal Government, coupled with the japa syndrome it was experiencing, continued to be over burdened with the health challenges of the state. To this end, the state government carried out interventions in the hospital, including building a virology centre to fight the lassa fever and other viral diseases.
It also built a modern emergency unit for the hospital and carried out other interventions, including supply of dialysis machines and other equipment. But this was still seen as a wrong approach to the challenges.
The location of the hospital meant that it was not readily accessible to poor villagers in the hinterlands who may not possess the financial capacity to make the journey to the hospital, especially in emergency situations. This situation led to lots of avoidable deaths being recorded in the rural areas.
It is on this premise that Nwifuru on assumption of office promised to revitalise the health sector. In his campaign manifesto named the ‘Peoples Charter of Needs’’, Nwifuru notes that there is need for an infrastructural overhaul of the three tiers of healthcare delivery.
Some of them are the Virology Centre, a world-class referral hospital with Centres of Excellence – the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences and Teaching Hospital, Uburu and the 13 general hospitals, including the magnificent new FETHA emergency complex.
He notes that ‘in full cognizance that Health is wealth, my administration shall be committed to improve healthcare delivery in the State, through: “A. Re-establishment of Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki. B. Improvement of service delivery in the general hospitals. C. Staffing and equipping of the primary healthcare development agencies to enhance quality services.
“D. Strengthening midwife service scheme. E. Introduction of regular free medical outreaches and health care awareness campaign, especially in underserved areas. G. Collaboration with health care professionals, faith-based organisations and development partners in healthcare delivery. G. Enhancement of capacity of health care professionals through exchange programmes and training. H. Introduction of medical volunteer service scheme to support health care delivery in the State. I. Provision of Government Community health scheme for the less privileged and vulnerable ones. J. Supporting Ebonyi State Health Insurance Scheme. K Provision of Health insurance scheme for Ebonyians of 80 years and above.”
Within weeks of assuming duties, the governor ordered the recruitment of 195 health workers to boost its efficiency. The decision, he said, was in fulfillment of his promise to reposition the sector.
“The Governor of Ebonyi, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru has approved the immediate recruitment of medical personnel for the 13 general hospitals.
“Those to be employed include 39 medical doctors, 39 nurses, 39 laboratory scientists, 39 pharmacists and 39 health attendants,” a statement by his media aide said.
This done, the governor decided to buy brand new Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for the medical doctors to enhance their work.
The governor’s Special Assistant on new Media, Leo Oketa, said the SUVs were bought for the medical doctors in the General Hospitals, to ensure they were at work and respond to duty calls.
“This, in no small measure, will give them good confidence and assurance of their welfare, having been employed by the state government.
“It is meant as well to ensure that they do not convert the hospital ambulances to their private cars. All the SUVs have been paid for and all of them delivered,” he said
Beside, Oketa said the governor also bought 52 ambulances for the General Hospitals. “Fifty-two were paid for, but 20 had arrived. The rest would be delivered soon. The governor intends to have two ambulances for each General Hospital in Ebonyi State,” he explained.
Speaking to reporters, Nwifuru threw more light on his efforts to reposition the health sector. He said: “We are taking our development according to sectors. By the first week of June, we will go into health sector fully. It will be a comprehensive overhaul. Comprehensive in the sense that everyone in the sector and the people of Ebonyi State will be satisfied.
“The staff will be happy, the management will be happy and our hospitals will work. And what are those exceptional things we want to do in the health sector?
“By the Special Grace of God, Mr. President has agreed to demerge the Federal Teaching Hospital and we will have our own state teaching hospital.
“Mr. President also agreed to give us 100 consultants from the Federal Government.This was after I explained to him how to get the health sector working and how we intend to step it down in Ebonyi.
“Before the end of June, we will have not fewer than five consultants and three medical doctors in each of our general hospitals.
“Why do we say June? We have paid around N11.2billion to equip our general hospitals and, in doing that, we will have four specialist hospitals, one per zone. “Specialist in the sense that every zone will have two MRI machines, two computer tomography (ct) scan machines and other intensive machines.
“These machines will be functional for 24 hours. We have at least paid for 11 1000kva generators for these specialist hospitals,” he said.
Nwifuru explained that the aim was to ensure that patients get quality treatment at the general hospitals instead of taking the long tedious journey to Abakaliki.
“The idea is that if you visit the general hospital in your zone, and your case is one for referral to the specialist hospital in your zone, then you will go there.
“Our intention is that what you cannot get in these specialist hospitals, you cannot get it anywhere in this country.
“We recalled our ambulances because they are dilapidated. We have embarked on purchasing brand-new ambulances for our hospitals. As i speak to you, out of the 52 ambulances we paid for, 20 are already with us.
“We employed 36 doctors when we came into office. We wanted to make them 39 but we did not have the manpower, and three out of the 36 we employed were already working. So, we have 33, in addition to those who were at the general hospitals before now, making them a little over 40.
“We have resolved that every medical doctor working in any of our general hospitals, must get a brand new SUV from us. By the special grace of God, the SUVs are already parked in the Governor’s Lodge – paid for and delivered to us.
“This is to ensure the doctors do not convert the ambulances into their private cars. So, we are getting ready to do something exceptional in the health sector,” he said.
The governor, a few days later distributed the SUVs to the medical doctors working in general hospitals, including the Government House Clinic. He handed over the ambulances. The governor, while inaugurating the vehicles at the Governor’s Lodge, Ochudo Centenary City, Abakaliki said the aim of buying them was to enable them respond to call appropriately and enjoined them to use the vehicles for official purposes.
The governor, who was represented by his Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Monday Uzor, reiterated his commitment to improve the health of the people and directed that the ambulances be parked in the general hospitals.
He congratulated them and urged them to use the vehicles for the benefit of the people.
“The vehicles should be used for the purpose for which they were meant for and to also cater for the health of our people.
“All the general hospitals have been provided with ambulances and also to inform you that the ambulances should be parked right in the hospital. It is for the use of the hospital not for private use,” he said.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, represented by the Medical Director, Onueke General Hospital, Ezza South Local Government Area (LGA), Dr. Ezeogo Lawrence, applauded the governor for providing official vehicles for the medical doctors to make their jobs easy.
Ekuma assured that the medical doctors would adhere strictly to his directive and give the state the best medical services that the people deserve.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Chief Executive, Hospital Management Board, Dr. Nwali Okata James, expressed their gratitude to the governor for the gesture, describing it as the first of its kind.
Nwali, who chronicled the achievements of the governor in the sector and workers welfare, thanked Nwifuru for providing the SUV jeeps, including ambulances for the smooth running of the general hospitals.
He promised that they would perform their duties creditably and prayed God to give the governor sound health as well as guide and protect him.
Some of the doctors who could not hide their joy after receiving the SUV cars, including the Chief Medical Director Ezzamgbo General Hospital, Ohaukwu LGA; Dr. Chidi Ehiem; the Medical Officer Onueke General Hospital, Ezza South LGA, Dr. Mercy Nwokpo and the Medical Officer, General Hospital Ishiagu, Ivo LGA, Dr. Agwu Chimaobi Francis, praised the governor for his magnanimity and vowed to be diligent.
Also, the governor distributed 40 new motorcycles to health officers heading Primary healthcare facilities in the state.
At the kick off of the programme at the Ministry of Health in Abakaliki, the governor, represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekumah, charged the health workers to show greater commitment to their duties.
Ekuma explained that the state government bought the motorcycles using IMPACT fund, adding that the aim was to ensure quality health services delivery in the hinterland.
“Health officers, as well as Women Development Committee members, are by this gesture expected to step up their efforts to enhance service delivery, in the interest of our people,” he said. The commissioner congratulated the 40 health workers who benefited from this first batch of the programme, adding that others who indicated interest would get theirs in the second batch.
Ekuma urged them to take advantage of the mobility to reach out to pregnant women and children who missed antenatal or immunisation care to know why and look at the possibility of closing the gap.
He noted that there were some rural communities, which could not easily be accessed by cars, and said with the motorcycles, coverage of those areas would be done easily.
According to him, “this is what we observed, but with the help of these motorcycles, we want workers in those areas to ensure that they reach the hinterland and increase the immunisation coverage.These motorcycles are also needed for other health services including monitoring the pregnant women.”
Ekuma advised the beneficiaries to reciprocate the gesture by showing more commitment and efficiency in their duties.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Health, Dr. Sabinus Nwibo, said the motorcycles would facilitate the movement of the health workers and help the rural populace receive adequate healthcare.
He said modalities were in place to guarantee proper supervision of the facilities provided by the state government to revitalise the health sector.
The Programme Manager of IMPACT, Mr. Patrick Njoku Ogbodo, noted that the government followed due process of the office and World Bank to purchase the motorcycles.
He expressed optimism that the motorcycles would help them to visit their clients in their homes and ensure that babies of pregnant mothers are delivered by trained staff members.
The Health Officer, Onunwakpu in Izzi Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, Mr. Daniel Nkwuda, who spoke on behalf of other beneficiaries, thanked the state government and the IMPACT Manager for making their dreams come through.
He promised that the beneficiaries were not going to fail in their assignment, but would use the motorcycles to impact positively on the lives of the people, through improved health care delivery system.
The governor’s gesture drew praises from many Nigerians, including a renowned social critic, Reno Omokri.
In a statement on his Social Media handle, Omokri urged other governors to emulate Nwifuru’s gesture. He noted that it is one good approach to fighting brain drain in the health sector.
He said: “Other governors could learn a thing or two from Ebonyi Governor Francis Nwifuru’s approach to ending the japa syndrome amongst doctors.
“Governor Nwifuru bought SUVs for doctors working at government-owned General Hospitals in Ebonyi. That is the type of out-of-the-box thinking that Nigeria needs.
“Of all the Southeastern states, Ebonyi has been the most marginalised, even by fellow Southeasterners.
“But in the last eight years, they have been blessed with good leadership above any other state in that zone. Doctors who are paid a decent salary and provided with housing and vehicles by their employers, as is being done in Ebonyi, are less likely to japa.
“And he even patronised assembled made-in-Nigeria vehicles. Even better. He is motivating doctors and improving the value of the Naira in one stroke. Well done, Mr. Governor,” he added.
Also, the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ebonyi appreciated the governor for the gesture. Spokesperson of the state chapter of the party, Simbad Ogbuatu, in a statement said it demonstrates the governor’s exceptional commitment towards overhauling the health system in the state.
He said the initiative would contribute greatly to the service delivery of the medical doctors.
“This rare gesture demonstrates his unwavering dedication to improving the quality of healthcare services, particularly for our rural communities.
“His foresight in recognising the need for routine medical check-ups for the downtrodden, our octogenarians etc that requires routine medical monitoring due to their age, is truly remarkable,” he said.
