Rivers Emerges Nigeria’s Best In Health

The Rivers State Government has won the 2014 Outstanding Government Healthcare Programme Excellence Award, beating Lagos, Kano and Ondo states to clinch the prize in recognition of its excellence in healthcare delivery in the country.
The award is the highest honour for unparalleled excellence in the field of healthcare in Nigeria, and was received behalf of the state government by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos.
While receiving the award, Parker said the Governor Chibuike Amaechi-led administration decided to do things that will touch the lives of Rivers people, adding that “we did it in our own way by rebuilding the health system from the foundation,” referring to the huge investment in primary healthcare delivery.
He said the decision to focus on primary healthcare initially met with a lot of challenges and criticisms but the government was not deterred because of its conviction that 70 per cent of disease burden in the state could be taken care of at the primary healthcare level.
The commissioner further stated that the state built, staffed and equipped over 100 primary health centres across the state, noting that it is not just about buildings but service delivery.
According to the commissioner, each primary healthcare centre is headed by a medical doctor who lives in the premises to attend to patients round the clock, stating that as a result of this, Rivers State has achieved 100 percent routine immunization by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) assessment in the year 2013.
He said, “this means women now take their children to primary health centres for immunization. It also implies that children with diarrhea and malaria are now getting access to the primary healthcare centres.
“It also means that women are now going for antenatal with their children, and encourage their husbands to follow them to the health centres to check their blood pressures at least”, the commissioner further said.
Parker, who said the state government has been serving its people silently, expressed appreciation for the award and recognition, saying “for us, this will encourage the government to work harder towards providing a healthier and wealthier Rivers State”.

Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker displaying the Excellence in Health Award won by the state in Lagos, yesterday