NDDC To Improve Healthcare Delivery In Niger Delta

In a bid to bring quality healthcare closer to the people, the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has begun discussions with foreign partners to build a state-of-the-art hospital in the Niger Delta region.

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Mr. Chibuzor Ugwoha, who disclosed this when a delegation of Omma Healthcare, United States of America, and their partners, visited the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, also said such a facility would enhance the capacity of the people of the region in healthcare delivery.

Mr. Ugwoha expressed displeasure over the lack of a world-class hospital in the region, saying that the provision of qualitative healthcare to the people of the region is paramount.

“We believe that health is wealth.  That is why the NDDC has been involved in the provision of free medical services, including sponsorships and referrals to local and foreign hospitals.

“We believe that we need to have a state of the art hospital in the Niger Delta.  That is why we see relationship with you as one that will bring life, health and wealth to our people”, he said.

The NDDC boss continued that though the commission wants to see a situation where the Niger Delta people will have access to world-class medical facilities within the region, the challenge of doing it alone was enormous.

“The Enormity of the challenges in the Niger Delta today is such that no matter how much money we have, we cannot do it alone. That is why we need partners who will work with us.  We are ready to work with you”, Ugwoha said.

“We are not interested in somebody building a hospital and leaving it for us.  We are also interested in human capital development.  We need to build the capacity of our people to run the hospital.

“There are very competent people from the Niger Delta playing important roles in very good hospitals all over the world and we don’t mind attracting them to come back home in this regard”, he said futher.

Responding, the president and CEO of Omma Healthcare, Mrs. Lynn Brown, promised to work with NDDC to achieve the commission’s objectives in healthcare delivery.

“If you think about how few hospitals you have in Nigeria, serving a population of about 150 million people, the need for more hospitals  is just phenomenal, even more so a world-class hospital”, she said.

Mrs. Brown promised that she would do everything to secure equity in participation and equipment financing for the hospital project from donor organisations.

Tonye Nria-Dappa