The Akwa Ibom State Government says plans are underway to establish a Renal Treatment Centre in the State to reduce prevalence of cancer and renal cases among its citizens.
The State Governor, Umo Eno, disclosed this during his interaction with management staff of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) who paid him a courtesy visit in Government House on Tuesday.
Eno expressed displeasure over the prevalence of cancer and renal cases among the people, stressing that government would not fold its arms and watch.
He urged medical experts to sensitise the public on the rise of renal diseases and cancer and measures to checkmate it with a view to reversing the trend.
“On the issue of renal failure, we are working towards that and coincidentally just this morning, I went on inspection of the site and we are trying to open a Medical corridor along the Ibom Specialist Hospital axis.
“We are working hard and we have identified the site and we are trusting God that we will be able to get it started.
“I have been promised that within one year, if the funds are available, the centre will be operational”, Eno said.
Eno said his administration has improved in healthcare services by revamping the primary healthcare sector for efficiency, reduce traffic on the  secondary and tertiary healthcare institutions across the State.
The Governor expressed the determination of his administration to ensure that every local government area across the State has a model healthcare institution before the end of his tenure.
He said capacity building in the health sector would receive special consideration as health staff would be trained and employed even as modalities have been put in place for the commencement of Health Insurance Scheme before the end of the year.
“On Health Insurance, I believe we have gone far, we trust that in the next one month, we will kick start health insurance scheme in the State’’.

“The ARISE Agenda is focused on Primary Healthcare and as you know the secondary healthcare was really taken care of in the last administration.

“However, there was a disconnect because a lot of people don’t have access to the healthcare facilities in the rural communities, so when you talk about the hospital being a general hospital in Uyo that shows that there’s a gap.

“We are driving the primary healthcare and believe that by the time we leave office we should be able to at least have a Model Primary Healthcare Centre in every Local Government and Companies in our communities and Donor Agencies can adopt this model for us.

“We should be able to put Ambulances around our Local Government to help our people as we promised  during our campaigns and by the grace of God we will do the best we can”, he said.

The Governor urged the UUTH Management to consider a Gas Turbine as alternative means of power generation to save costs and commended the management for their services to Akwa Ibom people.

Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of UUTH Prof. Ememabasi Bassey, expressed optimism that as a successful entrepreneur, the governor would bring his wealth of experience to bear in piloting the State’s affairs.

Bassey commended  the governor for the priority given to the health sector in his ARISE Agenda blueprint, adding that UUTH will support the administration in its quest to deliver on the agenda.

The medical director, however, listed its challenges to include dearth of infrastructure, power generation, inadequate manpower, poor funding,  among others.

He added that in spite of the setbacks, UUTH has recorded tremendous strides in the area of renovation and construction of new buildings, Services delivery, setting up of the Accident and Emergency Unit.