Boniface Onyedi
It is germane to keep re-enforcing the strides of good governance of Sir Siminalayi Fubara even in the face of challenges.
Recently, we dissected the unprecedented footprints on the health sector and his determination to change the narrative for the best, where Rivers State will remain the primus inter pares in healthcare delivery.
Since then, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has accentuated that passion for tangible actions to benefit the people through policy approvals that are re-engineering the sector.
First of such is the approval for the implementation and take off of the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) which is the State’s own Health Insurance Scheme. Amongst the critical decisions to kick start the programme was also the appointment of Acting Executive Secretary of the agency in the person of Dr Vetty Agala. In addition, in order to connect the State’s agency to statutory bodies in charge of health insurance in the country, the State subsequently notified the appropriate authorities such as the Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare as well as the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
However, because of the non-implementation of the programme by the State in the past few years, especially since 2021 when the law was domesticated, the Rivers State account for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund at the Central Bank of Nigeria has been dormant, and again as a committed administrator, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has began the process of reactivating the account to enable Rivers people benefit from the health insurance scheme like every other State. The effort will not only create affordable healthcare, but quite accessible to the people without hitches.
With the completion of those processes, it is obvious that the statutory authorities will then conduct facilities’ accreditation which will eventually lead to the enrolment of Rivers people in order to access healthcare through the scheme.
In preparation for the massive healthcare delivery, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, did an evaluation of the manpower needs in the sector and also graciously approved the employment of 1000 health workers across the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital and the Rivers State Hospitals Management Board. The outcome is the torrent of applications already received from within and the diaspora.
It is believed that this effort will address the immense challenges of shortages of clinicians to deliver timely healthcare services, undue delays in accessing healthcare, and drastically reverse the brain drain/Japa syndrome in order to build a responsive and resilient health sector that is geared towards improving the health of Rivers people and neighbouring States that will be accessing the quality health services in the state.
That is not all, the administration of Sir Siminalayi Fubara is genuinely committed to the health of the rural people and low income earners. This is justified by his dedicated investment in the Primary Healthcare. The commitment is further demonstrated by the inclusion of additional services to improve the scope of healthcare services in the entire health centres in the state. These include procurement of Obstetric imaging to identify and quickly refer high-risk pregnancies, mental and eye health.
In all, one striking accomplishment is the donation of an oxygen manufacturing plant and neonatal/newborn unit by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to the Eleme General Hospital as an endorsement of the restoration of the entire primary health facilities in Rivers State.
The good news is that Governor Siminalayi Fubara, strategically positioned a competent hand in manning the sector for optimal result and that exactly is what Dr. Adaeze Chidinma Oreh as Commissioner for Health is diligently doing to assist the governor accomplish the goal of quality health for all Rivers people.
So, without any deafening noise, Governor Siminalayi Fubara is quietly creating impact and leaving legacies that will celebrate him on the pages of history tomorrow.
Boniface Onyedi
SSA, Media to the Governor of Rivers State
