Dividends Of Rivers Free Medcare

It has been universally acknowledged that “Health is Wealth”. A healthy nation is a wealthy nation and of course, a healthy individual is a well-to-do individual.

  It was for this reason that informed the former Governor of Rivers State, Sir Dr. Peter Odili’s decision to introduce the Free Medical Care Programme in the health sector of his administration. The idea behind the move was to ensure the attainment of healthcare delivery to the doorstep of the common man.

  The programme which was specifically packaged for adults that have clocked over sixty (60) years and children below six (6) years of age irrespective of their states of origin has recorded tremendous success since its inception. To underscore the importance of the programme as an integral part of his administration, the then first lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and wife of the former President, Chief (Mrs.) Stella Obasanjo of blessed memory was invited by Governor Odili to launch the programme on the 5th of May, 2000 at the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital (BMH), Port Harcourt.

  Shortly after that historic event, the state Ministry of Health, in its avowed commitment to accomplish the objective behind the exercise took far-reaching measures to sustain the programme. It might interest you to note that the Free Medical Care Programme was introduced to improve on the health needs of the targeted group in the society as well as alleviate the problems plaguing them. Besides, it was also introduced to fight poverty stricken individuals and groups who cannot afford to pay the high cost of medical bills charged in privately owned hospitals.

  As a matter of fact, the programme has fared well despite the logistics problems encountered by its staff in the course of carrying out their official assignment to government owned hospitals across the state. It is a well known fact that Rivers State has a peculiar terrain that poses difficulties due to its heterogeneous nature.

  Therefore, the peculiarity of the environment has had so me adverse effects on the execution of key government projects like the Free Medical Care Programme otherwise known, as FMCP, has been reinvigorated and given a new dimension in its drive to deliver free medical services to the targeted groups.

  Kudos must be given to the present Amaechi-led administration for putting in place funds, human and other necessary resources for the successful execution of the programme. There is no doubt that the FMCP is today handling emergency cases. The emergency case simply put as accident and other related matters which occur within an interval of twenty-four hours are treated free of charge as long as such bills are submitted to the Ministry of Health. The Free Medical Care Programme of the Ministry is equally handling cases of teenage pregnancies referred to it by the adolescent project (TAP) as well as all pregnancies leading to Caesarean sections and other complications only in government hospitals.

  Apart from the above, the programme also extends its free medical services to widows of ex-servicemen, retired clergymen and their wives as well as inmates of motherless babies homes including home for the elderly. As if that was not enough, government has of late approved three new Social Welfare Boarding Institutions to benefit from the service of FMCP: namely Port Harcourt Remand Home, Approved School, Borikiri, and Government Rehabilitation Centre, Iriebe.

  It is the policy of the Ministry to ensure that all emergency cases must be brought by Emergency Medical Service (EMS) ambulance van for the first twenty-four hours of its occurrence. The programme also makes it compulsory for all beneficiaries to be duly registered in government hospitals such as BMSH and Teaching hospitals to enable the health-workers compile and process the statistical data of the benefiting individuals and groups.

  The state Ministry of Health is not resting on its oars to give the people the best medical services. That is why the Commissioner, Dr. Sampson Parker and the Permanent Secretary, Dr. (Mrs.) Stella Toby and Coordinator of the Free Medical Care Programme have matched their words with action by commissioning some hospitals in the state into Free Medical Care Programme. Not only that, they have gone the extra mile in despatching medical personnel of the ministry to undertake routine inspection of government health centres and hospitals located in most strategic parts of the State.

  To actualise this vision, the ministry has also taken a step further to equip the designated hospitals with sufficient drugs to check the Out-of-Stock syndrome that hitherto had characterised the system. The idea behind this renewed effort is to meet the global Millennium Development Goals of the federal government, which is aimed at eradicating all forms of ailments and diseases including the stubborn malaria and HIV / AIDS pandemic ravaging the African continent.

  Nwauwa resides in Port Harcourt.