Residents of Fugar community and its environs in Estako Central Local Government Area of Edo State are now heaving a sigh of relief following the renovation of a health centre in the area.
It would be recalled that they had been difficult accessing quality health care service.
But since the inauguration of the renovated comprehensive health centre in the locality, the situation has changed.
What makes them happy about the health facility is the presence of a surgical theatre. As at last count, doctors at the health centre have performed 39 major and minor surgical operations. Before now, the residents used to travel to Auchi in Estako West Local Government Area or Irrua Specialist Hospital in Esan Central Local Government Area before they access quality health care until last month when the new council chairman, John Akigbhe, unveiled the newly renovated health centre.
Akhigbe told reporters that he decided to focus on primary health care delivery because of the near death experience his sister had at the Irrua Specialist Hospital.
The council chief said he rushed his sister to Irrua and she was revived with the use of oxygen gas.
He said all the health centres in the locality were not functional when he was sworn in six months ago.
His words: “My sister is alive today because she got good health care. I was shocked when doctors told me it was not the drugs I bought that saved her but the oxygen used to revive her.
“I came back and decided to face the health sector. I did not look at the dilapidated building but to touch people’s lives by making them stop travelling to treat ailments such as malaria.
“When I came in, the members of staff were not dedicated. They go to the market instead of being at the health centres. I changed their morale towards work by providing an enabling environment.
“We now have a functional health centre. Some general hospitals do not have what we have here. Our theatre is well equipped. We provided drugs by giving contracts to major distributors. I know that if I provide the necessary tools, we will have people who are healthy. My goal is to make the hospital a referral centre and stop my people from going to Auchi or Irrua for health care”.