Edo State Governor Mr. Godwin Obaseki said his administration has resolved to privatize the Specialist Hospital in Benin City to provide world class healthcare services.
According to the governor, the privatization of the hospital will put it at par with the best hospitals in the world and will serve the healthcare needs of Nigerians who ordinarily would have traveled abroad for such services.
He said the logic of his administration is to woo those who have the resources to travel abroad for treatment to Edo State, for standard healthcare services instead of traveling abroad.
He added that the accruing resources from the medical tourists will be channeled to provide affordable healthcare services for the ordinary Edo people across the state.
He made this position known during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Edo State Government and the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) which will provide over two million treated mosquito nets for Edo citizens.
The governor added that many people suffer from malarial compared to renal failure and stressed that primary healthcare is key to improved health of the people.
“We are going to invest massively in our primary healthcare system,” the governor assured.
Obaseki said the MoU was important as it emphasizes what the administration stands for and it’s the beginning of cooperation between his administration and the CRS and other donor bodies in providing affordable healthcare for the people of Edo State.
He added that his administration places high premium on the healthcare of the people, which explains why he appointed the Deputy Governor Hon. Philp Shaibu to head the Edo State Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Net Campaign Committee.
“I hope we will make history by emerging the first state in the country to totally eliminate malaria. Our counterpart fund is available and we are working round the clock to ensure that the time line we set for ourselves for the rollout which is August 20, this year is met” Obaseki said.
The leader of the team for CRS Dr. Ikhimioya Uchechuku commended the governor for the collaboration and expressed their readiness to work with the Godwin Obaseki-led administration to ensure that malaria is a thing of the past in Edo State.
The high point of the event was the signing of the MoU. Dr. Ikhimioya Uchechuku signed for CRS while the Secretary to Edo State Government Barr. Osarodion Ogie Signed for Edo State Government.
(Observer)
