Ebonyi Disburses N200m As Grant To Six Rural Hospitals

The Ebonyi State government has disbursed N200 million as grant to six rural hospitals in the state.

Governor Martin Elechi made the announcement in Abakaliki during the disbursement of the grant.

He said that the grant was aimed at promoting maternal and child healthcare, increase immunisation coverage and provide free maternal healthcare.

He said that it would also enable the benefiting hospitals recruit skilled manpower.

He said that in its efforts to boost its rural healthcare programme, the government provided N600 million in the 2013 budget.

Elechi listed the six rural hospitals that would benefit from the grant to include Mater Misericorde Hospital, Afikpo (N36 million), Presbyterian Joint Hospital, Uburu (N27.8 million) and Rural Improvement Mission Hospital, Ikwo (N36.2 million).

Others are St. Vincent Hospital, Ndubia (N34 million), Mile 4 Hospital, Abakaliki (N32 million) and Sudan United Mission Hospital, Onuenyim Izzi (N34 million).

In his remarks at the occasion, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Sunday Nwangele, urged rural dwellers to take advantage of the comprehensive healthcare provided by the hospitals to improve their health status.

Speaking on behalf of the benefiting hospitals, Rev. Fr. Isaac Ogba, the Administrator of St. Vincent Hospital, Ndubia, commended the government for the provision of the grant.

He said that the money would help to reduce the rate of maternal mortality in the state.

It would be recalled that the government had so far disbursed a total of N1.9 billion as grant to the six rural hospitals since the commencement of its healthcare programme in 2010.