The Speaker of the Bayelsa House of Assembly, Hon. Konbowei Benson, has expressed disgust at the poor sanitary condition of clinics and public hospitals in the state. The Speaker described the state of the hospitals as “dirty and smelling’’.

Konbowei made the disclosure in Yenagoa last Thursday at the House plenary during the screening of a Commissioner-nominee, Dr Michael Awoli.

Awoli’s name was sent to the lawmakers by Gov. Seriake Dickson, for screening and confirmation as a commissioner.

According to the Speaker, the unhealthy state of health facilities in the state was a source of great concern to the state government.

Konbowei said the situation necessitated the governor’s declaration of a state of emergency in the state’s health sector.

The Speaker reminded the commissioner-nominee of the onerous task ahead of him if appointed the commissioner of health and demanded Awoli to proffer solutions to the various strike actions by medical doctors in the nation.

“This government is out to achieve specific goals; we want performance and not too much book work that does not make a difference when compared to what we have had in the past.”

Konbowei said the state government was determined to reposition the delivery of health care services to its people.

Responding, Awoli, the commissioner-nominee, assured that he would do his best to revamp the situation in the health sector and promised to work with the local councils to promote efficient primary health care delivery.

The commissioner-nominee explained that no doctor gets pleasure from embarking on strike, noting that many a situation when doctors went on strike, resulted from a breakdown of communication and over – exhausted dialogue.

“The desire of every doctor is to save lives; no doctor derives pleasure to go on strike. But in Nigeria, you plead so much for attention and you are pushed to the wall. “We should remember that doctors are also human like other workers, with desire for better working condition.”

Awoli, however, assured that he would discourage strike as an option among his colleagues by initiating better working relations with government through dialogue and motivating the doctors to put in their best.

He said that he would evolve a new discipline among health workers through greater supervision and regular monitoring to ensure efficient health care delivery service in the state.