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RSG Unveils Private Hospitals Aid Scheme …Says No Plans To Kill Public Hospitals
To ensure that more residents of Rivers State have access to quality healthcare, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike on Wednesday flagged off the private hospitals loan scheme.
The first batch of the scheme shall witness 37 hospitals in the state access N500million to upgrade their facilities and improve their service to the people.
Seven of the beneficiaries are non-indigenes, while 30 are from Rivers State.
Flagging off the Private Hospitals Loan Scheme at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Wike urged the private medical practitioners to apply the loans judiciously.
He said that the state government will pay the interest on the loans on behalf of the beneficiaries, while the beneficiaries will pay the principal sum.
The governor said: “This loan is for the private hospitals to improve their facilities. It is not meant for the owners of the hospitals to solve personal problems.
“Private hospitals are critical to healthcare delivery in the state, hence our decision to create this loan scheme to support their improvement”.
He noted that the beneficiaries of the N500million loan will form the first batch, pointing out that their successful application of the funds will lead to another batch.
In his remarks, Rivers State Health Commissioner, Dr Theophilus Odagme lauded the governor for his investment in the health sector.
He said at present 17 general hospitals are being rehabilitated by the Wike administration, while majority of the resolutions of the meeting the governor held with the Nigerian Medical Association.
The commissioner appealed to the private medical practitioners to pay back the loans, so that others can benefit.
Representative of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Ibitoru Korubo, said that the governor’s intervention will help in reviving the health sector in the state.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Dr Sunny Obele of Sonabel Medical Centre, Eleme said that the Private Hospitals Loan Scheme should be emulated by other states and the Federal Government.
He said that the intervention was relevant because 80 percent of Nigerians access healthcare through private health facilities.
Meanwhile, some experts in the health sector in Rivers State have given their support to the new Rivers State Government loan to private hospitals in the state.
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike announced a N500 million loan scheme for private hospitals last two months after meeting with stakeholders in the health sector.
Chairman State Primary School Board, Prof. Princewill Chike, told The Tide in a chat that the scheme will boost health care services as against the view that such loan should have been channelled to public hospitals.
Chike said, “This kind of thing has never been done in the country before and this is how India overtook many other countries in health care delivery today.”
The professor of medicine argued that since the country has huge manpower in the health sector, such loan scheme will help boost facilities, research and encourage the private practitioners to improve their services and even reduce their charges on the public.
With improved services and facilities in the private hospitals, Chike maintained that pressure on government hospitals will also be reduced.
He, however, pointed out that the scheme introduced by Wike administration will challenge the Federal Government to meet its statutory obligations of funding health care, while revealing that since this year health care centres in the state have not received federal funding, except the ones remitted by the state and local governments.
Chike submitted that, “the present government has the interest of the people at heart. So, for me, the gesture the governor extended to the private hospitals is not to kill public hospitals but will rather aid them to meet standards and services they offer.”
Chairman of the Private Hospital Loan Scheme and Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Prof Blessing Didia, explained that what the Wike administration has demonstrated is to replicate what obtains abroad.
“If you travel overseas you will discover that most of the hospitals there do not actually belong to the government even in Dubai where most of us go to take treatment. So this loan scheme will ensure that many Nigerians don’t travel abroad again,” Didia stated.
In the light of this, Didia held that government has provided a platform for private hospitals to raise their services and standards, assuring that if the pilot scheme succeeds then a second batch of private hospitals will get the loan.
He explained that the beneficiaries about 37 of them are to get moratorium of three months before paying back, as the state government has taken care of the interest already.
Meanwhile, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Theophilus Odagme, has ruled out political considerations in the selection of hospitals which benefitted from the scheme.
He told The Tide that a careful selection process was carried out and that, “this loan was not given to PDP or APC members. There were no political considerations whatever because we had town hall meeting with the Nigerian Medical Association and nobody was asked whether he was APC or PDP.”
The commissioner promised that the loan will be utilized by the hospitals selected, and promised that when once the first batch ends, the second phase will kick off.
He also defended the scheme with the view that it will reduce pressure on public hospitals pointing out that most of the newly rehabilitated public hospitals will serve as referrals to the health centres in the rural areas.
The Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, has teamed up with a renowned hospital group in Port Harcourt, the Meridian Hospitals, which is in partnership with the Pilgrims Health Foundation, to carry out a one-day medical outreach last Tuesday.
The free treatment scheme took place at Oromenike Government Girls Secondary School in D-Line, Port Harcourt, with over 100 persons accessing free treatments, including free eye-glasses and booking for eye surgeries.
Other areas of treatment included general health consultations and treatment; blood pressure and sugar level testing; malaria testing and treatment; free prescriptions; preventive health talks focusing on hygiene, maternal health, and nutrition.
The scheme was conducted under the theme: ‘Bringing Healthcare to the Community.’
Newsmen who visited the venue of the scheme found that enthusiastic beneficiaries had thronged the area as early as 7a.m. After setting up, the medical team began attending to the patients.
Mr. Jerry Onwuso, a 63-year-old patient, who was first to see eye doctors and got eye glasses and drugs, told newsmen that he was pleased with the medical intervention.
He made it clear he did not pay any money to get all the treatments and glasses, and pleaded that the scheme be sustained.
Another patient, Loveth Sam, expressed satisfaction with the scheme and appealed to the sponsors to continue to increase the benefits.
Throwing some light on the scheme, Mr. China said he worked in Meridian Hospitals as a Lab. Scientist 19 years ago, but resigned because he could not bear to see patients struggling for life because they had no money to pay for treatment.
He said he came back to help extend free medical treatment to the less privileged.
Sources said China was always having issues with the hospital authorities when he would insist on critical patients being allowed to be treated first, with or without money.
Years later, China, who now goes by a brand name, the Mayor of Housing, returned to the Meridian Hospital headquarters to support free medical scheme.
He also went the next day to the headquarters of Meridian, after the one-day medical outreach, to give cash gifts and palliatives to workers he met when he worked there but had remained in service since he left.
He encouraged them to continue to give their all to humanity through the hospital. The Mayor of Housing called most of them by name and a cloud of emotions descended on them during the reunion.
Appreciating the gesture, the Founder and Chief Medical Director, Dr. Iyke Odo, said China had always manifested hard-work, ambition, and impulsive giving.
According to him, the then young bright boy was full of humanity, kindness, love, and made friends easily, adding that “not everybody that gives is a giver. The difference is that givers are given to give.”
Dr. Odo used the opportunity to call on governments to review Nigeria’s health insurance system and make it work in Nigeria to save lives.
He said it was sad watching critically sick persons abandoned because they did not have money for treatment.
He also condemned harsh tax and electricity tariffs whereby facilities like his now pay N12 million instead of N500,000 few years back.
He wondered why hospitals were being made to pay tariffs like oil companies, citing many other countries where medical facilities were placed on low rates and tariffs so they could charge moderate fees from patients.
The Renewed Hope Initiative in conjunction with the Rivers State Government has empowered 500 elderly citizens in Rivers State with financial support of N200,000 each.
The empowerment programme was part of activities to celebrate the third anniversary of the Renewed Hope Initiative Elderly Support Scheme RHIESS, a social investment policy initiated by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Speaking at the event which held at the Government House, Port Harcourt, recently, under the theme, ‘Finding Joy in Old Age,’ Senator Tinubu said the gesture which has become traditional since 2023 was a mark of gratitude in recognition of the invaluable contributions of the senior citizens to nation building.
The First Lady who was represented by the wife of the Rivers State Governor and State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Lady Valerie Fubara, said the scheme was to “support two hundred and fifty (250) vulnerable elderly citizens aged 65 and above in all the 36 states of the federation, the Federal Capital Territory, and veterans from the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) totalling 9,500 selected beneficiaries across the nation.
She urged the beneficiaries to engage in activities that will make them find joy in old age.
“I encourage you to continue playing your part by staying healthy and active, nurture both your body and mind through regular exercise and meaningful engagement,” Senator Tinubu advised.
On her part, Lady Fubara said the State Government through the magnanimity of the governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has increased the beneficiaries of the programme from 250 to 500.
She restated the commitment of the State Government towards provision of social welfare and improving the standard of living of the elderly in the State.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), Dr Vetty Agala, said the State Government has through the Health4allrivers Initiative, introduced free medical care for senior citizens in the State, in line with the Renewed Hope Initiative.
