A team of 100 medical personnel comprising 25 doctors and 75 nurses have been inaugurated into an Emergency Response Training Programme by Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State with a pledge of his readiness to always invest heavily in health care services.
Similarly, Governor Emmanuel has rolled out plans for the total reconstruction of the General Hospital, Ituk Mbang.
These were part of the landmark activities to mark the commencement of a weeklong programme to celebrate his two years administration in the state.
Emmanuel who noted that a healthy population gives rise to a wealthy population, said having been exposed to several world class medical facilities in the world, he was under obligation to deliver same to his people.
Performing the flag off of the emergency response programme at the Judiciary headquarters, Uyo, the governor said, ‘I don’t see this training as an expense but as an investment in the interest of Akwa Ibom people.”
While recounting the incident at the Reigners Church last December, Governor Emmanuel said the incident revealed that the emergency situation in the state required urgent attention because there was a vacuum.
He said the emergency response programme can easily safe the life of a victim in a traumatic condition, explaining further that, “you might be found in a traumatic situation, where six hours could mean six years and no matter how rich you are, you may not find an air ambulance that can fly you for six hours and what could serve your life is this investment that we are making.”
He said the trainees were carefully selected to be part of the exercise which was in accordance with recognized and certified global standards.
He reiterated his desire to ensure the availability of affordable health care for Akwa Ibom people, saying, “We have a commitment of 25 container loads of first class medical equipment, our attention is to keep this medical services affordable. This is why we are investing so much in secondary health care.
He tasked the local government areas to partner with non-governmental organisations to boost primary health care delivery and provide basic services, especially once the country is out of recession.
Speaking, the State Commissioner for Health Dr Dominic Ukpong who introduced the team of medical experts brought in for the programme, said those trained will form the nucleus of the people that will man the emergency response system in the state.
He said their services are also going to be vital at accident sites and other locations for pre-hospital care and thanked the governor for the opportunity afforded for the people to undergo the training which will come with certificates to beneficiaries.
At the flagging off of the construction of the Modern General Hospital at Ituk Mbang, Governor Udom Emmanuel said the facility when rehabilitated and re-equipped will take care of gynecology, pediatric s, emergency health care and other general medical services.
He decried that majority of major medical attentions in the country are sought abroad and promised to equip secondary facilities across the state to meet the medical needs of the people.
Emmanuel savouring the strategic location of Ituk Mbang close to the state international airport, said the equipment for the hospital had already been purchased and shipped and his vision is to make the hospital one of the best secondary medical centres in the country.
“If not for a little delay, I was thinking that as I am inaugurating this project today, by the time I open the containers for the medical director here to see the equipment I’m sure he would have jumped up. Let him give us next two weeks. We have cleared just one, other eight are coming.”
He assured on the quality of the equipment, and said, “let me assure you that the equipment we are bringing in are actually directly brought in from the United States and not those foreign countries that people complain about.”
He further explained that he was ready to partner with some international agencies, “so that we can bring in more equipment from Canada.”
The Medical Superintendent of the Hospital at Ituk Mbang, Dr. Ekpenyong O. Ekpenyong who received the governor and his delegation thanked him for the intervention, saying , “It is on record that you are the very first governor that has visited this hospital in the last 23 years, the last time we had a governor visiting this place was May 6, 1994, that was Col. Yakubu Bako and he was just passing by.
So you are the very first democratically elected Governor to set foot here and we believe the visit marks a new beginning in the life of this hospital.”
The Governor also flagged off the construction of the 3.2kilometer dual access road at the Permanent Site of the University of Uyo, saying his administration will always go all out to create a conducive environment of learning for students, an added that despite the federal ownership of the institution, his government was interested in assisting it because it was located within the state.
He tasked the State Commissioner for Works to expedite action to complete the road project before the next convocation of the institution in October this year.
At the State College of Education, Afaha Nsit, Governor Emmanuel announced that he personally came to show his concern for quality education delivery in the “only institution we have today that trains teachers for basic education in this state.”
He announced that, “we want to first of all give a facelift to the main entrance, the internal roads,” and urged the student and staff to cooperate with his administration to ensure smooth operation at the institution.
The Governor also commissioned a 1.5km outfall drainage project at the Nsikak Eduok-Tropicana Entertainment Center axis of the State Capital, flagged off 9.76km ancillary roads in Nsit Ubium and commissioned a toothpick and pencil factory in Etinan.
© Abasiubong Tom for Nextreporter
