In a bid to improve on the
health well-being of its host communities and the society at large, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) and its joint venture partners have elevated Obio Primary Health Centre from two-bed facility to a 40 bedded facility through its health insurance scheme.
The Acting Regional Community Health Manager of SPDC, Dr Babatunde Fakunle disclosed this at the fourth year anniversary of the new Obio Cottage Hospital in Port Harcourt recently.
Fakunle who was represented at the event by Edet Edet, while narrating the success story of the Health Insurance Scheme of the Hospital from two nurses to 42 explained that due to the health facilities upgraded under the insurance scheme, about 5,000 patients patronise the hospital monthly instead of the average of 20 patients recorded monthly.
The Acting Regional Community Health Manager who shared credit for the turnaround with NNPC, Rivers State Government, the Obio Community and other partners in progress restated that the company would not relent in providing the best for the people.
He explained that with only N3,600 insurance registration for Obio indigenes and N7,200 from non indigenes, a member enjoys wide range of services which include caesarean section at no extra cost.
“We believe that the health of people in remote locations can be protected in the same way as or even better than their non-remote counterparts,” he said, stressing that quality improvement is a process and that Obio is on course towards its meeting international standard.
The manager disclosed that SPDC was responding to requests to replicate the scheme in other cottage hospitals within and outside Rivers State and expressed satisfaction with the level of acceptance from both local and international bodies to the commitment of the company.
The Chief Medical Director of Obio Cottage Hospital, Dr Umejiego Chidozie told newsmen that the major challenge facing the facility was a lot of clientel it was attracting. “The level of clientel has increased tremendously” he said.
He said, to attend to the situation, authorities had increased the workforce, nurses, number of doctors and equipment, stressing that it had added so much in reducing child mortality rate.
Chris Oluoh
