RSG To Strengthen Free Medical Services In 2011

Passengers struggling to board a bus at Mile I Motorpark in Port Harcourt on Christmas Day.

The Rivers State Government has assured that the Free Medical care programme of the present administration would be strengthened in order to provide adequate healthcare service to all residents of the state.

Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, gave the assurance while declaring open a one-day stakeholders review meeting organised by the Free Medical Care Programme (FMCP) of the ministry at the conference hall of the Ministry of Justice, Port Harcourt over the Weekend.

He said that the state government considers the health of the people as paramount and would do everything possible to make it beneficial to all residents of the state.

Dr Parker who was represented at the occasion by the Director of Medical Services, Dr Nimi Hart also observed that the hospital bills brought to the ministry for approval were on the high side, and called for their scrutiny to fast-track payment.

The commissioner further stressed the need for individuals and corporate establishments operating in the state to pay their taxes in order to complement government’s efforts in sustaining such essential services to the people.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Free Medical Care Programme, Dr Stella Toby noted that the quarterly meeting was aimed at appraising and reviewing the activities of the programme in order to update records and make it more functional for the beneficiaries.

She, however, said that the expansion of the roles of the programme had created some challenges to the management and staff of FMCP but pledged greater commitment of staff of the programme to actualise the dreams and vision of the present administration in the state in the health sector.

The meeting was attended by Chief Medical Directors from various departments, directors, pharmacists, heads of 109 participating health facilitators, medical record officers drawn from the ministry, among others.