Rivers Spends N100bn On Health …As RSSDA Wins 2013 HR Best Practice Award

If ever Rivers State has experienced a boom in healthcare delivery, it is now when Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s administration is in place, Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker has said.
Dr Parker spoke at an event organised at the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital, Port Harcourt to appreciate ophthalmologists (eye specialists) from United States-based Hospitals for Humanity, who performed successful surgery with eyesight restored to over 200 glaucoma and cataract patients in collaboration with the Rivers State Government at the weekend.
He disclosed that Governor Amaechi had released almost N100billion into the healthcare delivery system, describing him as having very kind heart for the people of the state.
He appreciated God for enthroning Amaechi as the Rivers State governor, adding that the governor had judiciously expended state funds for the people’s benefits.
After exciting testimonies from glaucoma and cataract patients, Dr Parker said: “We have to thank God because He is the one that has made all these things possible. He is the one that at the right time, decided to bring back Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi from exile to govern Rivers State. He is the one that made him (Amaechi) have a kind heart for the people of Rivers State.
“I have been a doctor in this system for a couple of years before becoming a commissioner, and I have senior colleagues here. I don’t think it has been this good for the Health Ministry as Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has done. If I am lying, please somebody should oppose me.
“Since we came, just last night, we were having a small chat and we were looking at how much has been pumped into the Ministry of Health; almost a N100billion has gone into free healthcare service for Rivers people”, he said.
“We have done about 150 primary healthcare centres, general hospitals and equipped them, and on staff development, we have employed over 200 medical doctors, with 400 nurses, and given incentives to doctors to work harder.
“We have reinstituted training and retraining of medical personnel, and today, our push is to make Braithwaite Memorial Hospital to be a specialist hospital as the name implies, to become a teaching hospital to train young doctors and other health professionals. That is how much he (Amaechi) has put into the Ministry of Health”.
The health commissioner assured that the Amaechi administration would continue to pursue health programmes that would provide quality free healthcare for the people, adding that Governor Amaechi had also approved a specialist manpower development programme for take-off.
He thanked the medical team from Hospitals for Humanity for their collaboration and effort in treating glaucoma and cataract eye patients.
The ophthalmologists from Hospitals for Humanity were in Rivers State on partnership with the Amaechi administration to treat glaucoma and cataract eye patients.
Earlier, the founder and team leader of Hospitals for Humanity, Dr Segun Ajayi said they were able to carry out eye surgery on over 200 patients with support from internal staff at Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency has won the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) 2013 HR Best Practice Award in the Public Sector Category.
The result was announced after a stiffly competitive exercise that was open to all public sector organisations in Nigeria and a rigorous selection process by CIPM.
At an impressive 45th Annual National Conference in Abuja last Thursday,the President and Chairman of Council of CIPM, Mr. Victor Famuyibo, said the award was instituted to encourage and recognise HR Best Practice across the sectors of the economy, and that he was particularly happy that RSSDA was able to dislodge other public sector organisations to win the award this year.

“I say congratulations to RSSDA and a big thank you to the Rivers State Government for giving RSSDA a space to come up with this kind of excellent performance. Absolutely spot one for us,’’ he said.
The Executive Director of RSSDA, Mr. Noble Pepple described the emergence of the agency, a winner from amongst public sector organisations across the country, as a wonderful reward for the hard work and dedication of the staff.
According to him, the award also “justifies the vision of the state Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who always encourages his people to strive for excellence. The support we get from him propels us to achieve.”
He said, “it is a commitment and a challenge to do more. We will not rest on our oars, we will use the commitment and energy of our staff to serve the government and people of Rivers State and achieve our mandates.”
Earlier, the General Manager, Human Resources and Administration of RSSDA, Mr. Tonye Sukubo said the agency strives to achieve excellence in whatever it does, adding that the value it places on its staff was high.
By winning this year’s award, “it shows we are on the right path in HR practice, and we will continue to strive for excellence,” he said.

Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State (3rd left), one-time Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas (2nd (left), Administrator, Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority, Dame Aleruchi Cookey-Gam (left), Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company, Mr Mutiu Sumonu (3rd right), Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari (2nd right) and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications, Mrs Jokotade Adamu, during 2013 Port Harcourt International Fashion Week at Aztech Arcum, Port Harcourt, last Friday.