The Rivers State Government and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have restated their commitment to a strategic partnership that would restructure and revive the healthcare landscape of the state with the aim of reducing the negative impact of persistent cult-induced violence on the people and the economy.
They made the commitment at a roundtable for stakeholders in the healthcare sector, organized by the ICRC in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, to address issues threatening available, accessible, and affordable quality healthcare delivery with particular emphasis on how to respond swiftly to the needs of victims of cult-related violence and other criminal activities in the state.
The event had the theme: “Port Harcourt: Roundtable On Healthcare In Danger In The South, Nigeria”.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Theophilus Odagme, who spoke on the sideline of the roundtable, said “at this roundtable, you will agree with me that the healthcare system is in danger because of various issues such as strikes, kidnapping, cult-related violence and insecurity. We intend to come up with certain decisions that would help government in re-organising the healthcare landscape in Rivers State.
“The Rivers State Government believes that ICRC is on the right track in efforts to address the huge challenges facing the healthcare delivery system. We know that ICRC is a serious and honest organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of humanity, rather than being involved in politics. We are also aware that ICRC personnel, facilities and vehicles are frequently attacked by hoodlums. We believe in what they are doing to minimize healthcare deficit in the state. We are also working hard to ensure the security and safety of your facilities, workers and vehicles,” Odagme said.
According to him, “at this time when we have gone beyond politics and are at the stage of delivering good governance to Rivers people and all those living and doing business in the state, we think that ICRC’s model to address issues threatening the healthcare system is worthy of emulation. The Rivers State Government will not only support ICRC but will also partner the organization in whatever way possible to achieve set goals.”
Earlier, Head of ICRC Office in Port Harcourt, Dorsa Nazemi-Salman, had complained that in other places, their workers, facilities and vehicles have been constantly attacked in communities where they have provided humanitarian healthcare services to those who desperately need care and treatment, and hoped that in Rivers State, such would not occur.
She said that “the lack of safe access to healthcare is one of the most significant, but unrecognized humanitarian challenges in situation of armed violence”, adding that experience elsewhere justifies the urgency for concerted synergy to address issues militating against safe delivery of dire healthcare needs to those who desperately require care and support, especially in the riverine areas of the state.
“The lack of safe access to healthcare can be caused by obstruction of healthcare delivery, discriminatory actions and policies as well as general insecurity,”
Nazemi-Salman said, stressing that the situation in the state has been undermined mostly by certain actions which block safe access to quality healthcare services by victims of violence, armed conflicts and crime.
The ICRC head of delegation stated that the roundtable would contribute to the mobilization of national and international support to create needed community concern, and encourage people to take position against violence, so as to improve healthcare delivery and humanitarian service in the South of Nigeria.
Nazemi-Salman further noted that the forum was designed to provide a unique opportunity for governments, doctors, first aid respondents, heads of ambulance services, medical emergency respond units and representatives of non-governmental organizations to share best practices on how to improve security for patients and healthcare personnel, and solicited the cooperation of all stakeholders to efforts to realize set targets.
It would be recalled that in 2011, the ICRC launched the “Healthcare In Danger (HCiD) project aimed at improving the efficiency and impartial healthcare service delivery in areas affected by armed conflicts and other emergencies.
The Tide gathered that the ICRC has achieved some level of success by mobilizing a range of experts to develop a series of practical measures which can be implemented in the field by policymakers, governments, humanitarian organizations and health professionals to reduce the negative impact of violence and armed conflicts on the economy and the people of the state and the South-South region.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana