Awka- Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra has said that his administration is working hard to establish a central medical equipment centre for the state.
Obiano made the disclosure on Saturday when he received the executive members of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Medical Students’ Association at the Governor’s Lodge, Awka.
He explained that the centre would be set up under a public private sector partnership initiative.
He said that the centre would have hi-tech medical equipment that ordinarily would have been costly for individual hospitals to afford.
The governor said that the equipment at the centre would be made available for use to all medical doctors in the state.
According to him, necessary arrangements are being made to ensure the state health insurance scheme is fully explored to guarantee adequate payment for services rendered.
“This is to ensure that the centre functions maximally in providing quality health service delivery to the people and would enable the citizens afford its services,’’ he said.
Obiano said that what his administration was doing through its three-prong approach of revolutionising the health sector was to create a sustainable system for catering for the health of the people.
He said the state government would sustain efforts at transforming the university’s teaching hospital into a world class medical institution.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Josephat Akabuike, identified some key interventions of the administration in the health sector to include the development of a state universal health insurance scheme.
He said that the interventions would also lead to the re-certification of hospitals to ensure they met acceptable standards, establishment of a central pharmaceutical store, among others.
The commissioner noted that through the efforts of the present administration, the university graduated its first and second sets of medical doctors.
Akabuike said that the students’ hostel built by the government had enabled all-round academic activities in the school.
Mr Chimezie Agbanu, President of the students’ association explained that the visit was to thank the governor for his efforts in infrastructure upgrade in the university.
He said that the government was also empowering the students to always be at their best.
Agbanu stressed that Obiano’s developmental agenda had proved to be the answer to the state’s socio-economic challenges.