BENIN- Mr Anslem Ojiezua, a PDP governorship aspirant and former Commissioner for Information and Orientation in Edo, has bemoaned the poor state of healthcare service delivery in the state.
Ojizua expressed the concern while fielding questions from members of the Correspondents’ Chapel on Sunday in Benin.
He said majority of Edo people were ignorant of the health insurance scheme being operated by the state government, apparently because of the lack of information and awareness of the details.
The former commissioner, however, noted that even those who seem to have embraced the scheme were experiencing difficulty of having access to quality service delivery arising from dearth of health personnel.
Ojiezua, also a two-time state chairman of the APC before his crossover to the ruling PDP in the state, however, said if elected governor, “the health sector no doubt will receive priority attention.”
He said “one area I am concerned about is the beleaguered health sector.
“The cost of accessing health in the state is unbelievably high, if those of us who consider ourselves privileged are beginning to bend under the cost of access to health.
“What about the man on the street, especially the elderly?, he asked rhetorically.
“Now, even though there is a health scheme in place, a lot of people either don’t know about it or a lot don’t believe in it.”
Ojiezua, who also superintended the ministry of Lands, Survey and Housing as commissioner, added “Those that have access to the healthcare sector have a big challenge.
“The challenge is that medical personnel are depleting by the day. A lot of doctors and nurses are moving out every day to other countries because of the condition of service.
“If you go to our health facilities today, my brother you will cry,” he lamented.
Ojiezua said he possessed the requisite qualification and capacity to turn the fortunes of Edo around for the better if he emerged as governor of the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the opposition party, the APC, and Civil society groups took a swipe at the state government for the demolition of the century-old Central Hospital in 2022.
While the APC and stakeholders accused the state government of alleged insensitivity by not creating alternative public health facility for Edo people, the state government said the demolition was to give room for a modern structure.
The then commissioner for for Communications and Orientation, Mr Andrew Adaze Emwanta, said “the hospital is being relocated to the Stella Obasanjo Hospital.
“Contrary to the false and malicious statement by the Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) purporting the demolition of the hospital, the government is not demolishing, but relocating the hospital.
“The Central Hospital has been in existence for over 100 years and most of the facilities are now very old and do not support modern-day medical service delivery.
“The hospital is now being relocated to the Stella Obasanjo Hospital which is being expanded and improved to deliver quality health services to Edo people, while the old Central Hospital will be transformed.” (NAN)
