Providing Qualitative Healthcare: The Rivers State Experience

Rivers State was created in 1967 by the then Federal Military Government of Nigeria, headed by Gen. Yakubu Gowon.

Like other states in the country, the provision of quality health care delivery to the citizens in Rivers has remained a daunting task.

Concerned citizens say that the state, in spite of its relatively long history, had not been able to record appreciable progress in health care delivery to the people before the advent of Gov. Chibuike Amaechi’s administration on Oct. 26, 2007.

Their comments are, perhaps, justifiable because statistics showed that the state formerly had over 350 health centres, in addition to 10 general hospitals; and virtually all of them were in a dilapidated state.

However, the crisis was not a state-specific one but a countrywide problem, as most of the country’s health institutions were on the verge of a total collapse before the coming of the current democracy in 1999.

Irked by the dismal state of the country’s health care delivery, the Federal Government, in concert with governments of other countries of the world, ratified and adopted the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which has specific targets in health.

Three of the eight goals of the MDGs are specifically directed at reducing child mortality and improving maternal health.

The programme’s focus is commendable, as available health care  indicators reveal that about one million children die before their fifth birthday, while 52, 900 women die from pregnancy-related complications in Nigeria each year.

The national scenario also depicts the situation in the states.

To enhance Rivers State’s health care delivery, the Amaechi-led administration, in the last three years, has expended huge sums of naira on various health projects.

In the area of primary health care, the state government embarked on the

construction of 160 ultra-modern primary health centres and 65 of them have been completed and equipped. The remaining centres have reached various stages of completion.

At the secondary level of health care, the government has completed the reconstruction of Kelsey Harrison Hospital, the Dental Hospital and the Rivers State University of Science and Technology Medical Centre.

Besides, the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital in Port Harcourt is undergoing massive reconstruction and its radiology department and clinical laboratories have been re-equipped, with the Clinotech Group of Canada acting as technical partners.

 An ultra-modern modular theatre complex, which comprises three operating suites, a laundry unit, a sterilising unit and an oxygen-production plant, as well as an adjoining intensive care unit, have also been set up in the hospital.

These laudable feats propelled citizens, who recently thronged the Alfred Diette-Spiff Civic Centre in Port Harcourt for the 2010 Accountability Forum, organised to mark the third anniversary of the Amaechi-administration, to pour encomiums on the governor.

Chief Andrew Uchendu, lawmaker representing Ikwerre/Emohua Constituency at the House of Representatives, said that Amaechi’s efforts in health and education remained unparalleled.

He said that citizens of the state would for a long time continue to enjoy the legacies of the Amaechi-administration, particularly in the areas of health and education.

“The health centres and model primary schools, being built by the state government, are a testimony to Gov. Amaechi’s determination to impact positively on the lives of the people.

 “Using public funds to provide quality health care and education for the people is the best thing any purposeful leader, who means well for the people could do.

“We are so happy with Gov. Amaechi; he has, within three years in office, provided what we never believe a state governor could achieve in ten years,’’ Uchendu said.

 A cleric, Apostle Eugene Ogu of the Abundant Life Evangel Mission, said that Amaechi’s achievements in the areas of health, security, education and infrastructure were very remarkable.

 “After a thorough review of the administration, I am convinced that the verdict of the Supreme Court that declared Amaechi governor on Oct.26, 2007 was divine.

 “Judging by his performance and the service delivery of the governors in other states, I know that Amaechi has done well and I commend him for his determination to take the state to greater heights,’’ Ogu said.  

Mrs Felicia Aribibia, a housewife, conceded that there has been a marked improvement in health care delivery in the state in the last three years.

“In the past, people hardly patronised the primary health centres because of derelict state of most of their facilities but the centres have now been transformed into good health institutions through the government’s policies.

 “At the centres, pregnant women and nursing mothers are given prompt attention, with free insecticide-treated mosquito nets and anti-malaria drugs given to them

 “Also, patients can now see doctors without much hassle and mothers now immunise their babies easily without foregoing their daily chores,’’ Aribibia said.

Also speaking, Mrs Florence Agala, a teacher, said that the transformation of the state’s health care delivery had restored the people’s confidence in democratic system of government, adding that Nigeria would be well developed if good leaders were voted into power.

 “If previous administrations had toed the path of the  Amaechi-administration by implementing development projects in health, education, security and road construction, our people would have been better for it by now,’’ she said.

However, Mrs Celestina Onyeukwu, a businesswoman, said that even though the Amaechi-administration deserved commendation for overhauling the health sector, a viable mechanism should be put in place to ensure the running of the health facilities in an effective way.

“Recently, my son fell sick and I took him to one of the newly constructed primary health centres in Port Harcourt. After consultation, he was placed on three days’ injection.

 “They administered the first injection on him on Friday and asked us to return the next day for subsequent ones. It was, however, surprising to me that when we got there on Saturday, a security man on duty told me that nobody was around to attend to us.

“My husband had to make alternative arrangements for a nurse to continue our son’s treatment,’’ she said.

Onyeukwu stressed that if adequate managerial arrangements were not put in place for the government’s facilities, the people might not be able to reap the full benefits of the government investments in health and education.

Mrs Erewari Owhonda, a matron in one of the health centres, said that more than five health centres were constructed in Port Harcourt alone, adding that the centres had resident doctors, nurses and other health personnel, as well as ambulances and laboratories.

She noted that the workers of the health centres were now giving quality service delivery partly because of the conducive working environment.

Dr Lolia Koko, Medical Officer in charge of Churchill Health Centre in Port Harcourt, noted that the overhaul of the health sector by the government had resulted in an unprecedented number of patients

patronising government clinics.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, said that the state government had adopted a health care delivery system, which thrust was anchored on primary care.

 “We have a health care programme that is based on the provision of quality health facilities, the provision of efficient, effective and affordable health services, the availability of well qualified and motivated staff and the provision of health care services to the vulnerable groups at government’s cost,’’ he said.

Parker said that the government had embarked on the construction of 160 primary health centres across the state, out of which more than 70 had been completed and now in operation.

He also said that the 150-bed New Niger Hospital  at Garrison Junction and Kesley Harrison Hospital at Emenike, all in Port Harcourt, had been completed, awaiting equipping.

Besides, the commissioner said that the construction of a modular theatre for open-heart surgeries at Braithwaite Memorial Hospital had been completed.

He said that the hospital’s laboratory had been upgraded to a reference laboratory and equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.

Parker said that government had funded specific health programmes to check maternal and child diseases such as maternal neonatal tetanus and polio, HIV and AIDS, malaria, as well as communicable and non-communicable diseases.

As part of activities lined up to mark the third anniversary of the Amaechi-administration, Parker said that 60 fully equipped primary health centres would be handed over to 60 communities soon.

He, however, stressed the importance of community participation in health care delivery, adding that government intended to mobilise community members to play pivotal roles in the utilisation and maintenance of the health facilities via a public awareness campaign.

Parker said that public awareness campaign would aim at building confidence and trust between the government and the people, in efforts toward sustainable management of the centres.

“It is for this reason that government is handing over the primary health centres to gatekeepers in the communities to engender community support, participation and ownership of these facilities.

  “The community will watch over the activities of the health centres’ staff to ensure that government derives value for the money it invested in the projects,’’ he said.

Parker said that disease-control schemes, including malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis programmes, would be handled by the health centres, adding that plans were underway to come up with appropriate legislation for the health centres’ management.

Corroborating Parker’s accounts, Amaechi said that the government had placed high premium on the people’s health, adding that the focus of the government was to reposition the state for pragmatic development.

“Our recognition of the place of primary health care in our health care delivery system has led us to establish 160 health care centres, with at least five centres in every local government area.

“Over 70 of these health centres are already in use, complete with resident doctors, midwifery and nursing care units, standby generators and ambulance services, as well as modern facilities necessary for their optimal operations,’’ the governor said.

 “Like education, the state government is going beyond a regime of free health care services, already being provided for patients under 6 years or above 60 years, to universal free medical care at each of its primary health care centres.

“We believe that the massive investment we are making is fundamental to the birth of a new Rivers State, where its secured citizens will be able to demand their inalienable rights to good governance,’’ he added.

The governor’s sentiments are obviously not an ego-massage, as many of the state’s citizens have been commending him for quality service delivery, particularly with regard to health care delivery.

The observers say that the Amaechi-administration, within three years of its existence, has blazed the trail for subsequent administrations to follow in health care delivery and management.

Onyeukwe writes for News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

By Francis Onyeukwu