DELTA HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM EFFICIENT AND PRODUCTIVE UNDER GOV. OKOWA ~DR. MICHAEL NWOKO

By Isima Sunday

The SSA to Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa of Delta State on Health Monitoring and Coordinator of Delta State Health Monitoring Team, Dr. Michael Nwoko has stated that Delta State Health care delivery system has proven to be efficient and productive under the able leadership of His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa.

Dr. Nwoko made this known while addressing news men during the monitoring and evaluation visit to Central Hospital, Ekpan, General Hospitals Patani and Bomadi as well as some primary health care centres in Delta Central and South Senatorial districts on 09/07/2021.

“With the revision of the standard of health systems and the expectations of the public, there is a need to understand the roles and the functionality of hospitals. Hospitals remain the centre of health care services and they face lots of challenges in service delivery.”

Dr. Michael Nwoko noted that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s led-administration has really restructured the State’s health care delivery system with emphasis on improving the functioning of the Government owned health care facilities as this highlights the role of hospitals in general with an insight into how the Health Service Reforms seek to improve Delta State owned hospitals and health system.

During a crucial meeting with top management of Central Hospital, Ekpan, Dr. Nwoko stated categorically that the State Government is determined to enhance the capacity of health care workers to improve the quality of care they render to the people adding that the input of the public must be given adequate consideration in addressing the challenges of health systems.

The Honourable SSA added that “The State government will support the private health facilities to join hands with the public health care facilities in developing innovative strategies to provide health care access to all citizens in line with the Universal Health Coverage policy”.

During a meeting with the top management staff of General Hospital, Patani, the SSA alerted the management that the Health Monitoring Team is determined to engage the authority of the Health care facilities on a regular basis by way of conducting periodic assessment of the quality of care they render to the people as well as share with them strategy with which to enhance productivity in the sector noting that they must pay adequate attention to administration and clinical governance of the hospitals as those indicators are key in driving modern health care facilities.

“We need sincere commitment and dedication to duty if we must achieve quality, affordable and accessible health care for all residents of the State” He went further to encourage the management of each of the hospitals visited to inculcate the habit of keeping the hospital environment clean at all times.

Some of the departments visited are Records department, Pharmacy department, Laboratory department, Health Insurance unit, Accident and Emergency department, Wards, Theater etc…

Dr. Michael Nwoko noted that Universal Health Coverage has three fundamental component objectives, namely:

1. Equity in Access to Healthcare Services where everyone who needs healthcare should get them, not only those who can pay for them.
2. The quality of health services should be good enough to improve the health of those receiving services.
3. People should be protected against financial-risk, ensuring that the cost of using the healthcare services does not put people at risk of financial harm.

“Advocacy unit should be set up in the health care facilities in order to increase the numbers of enrollees in the Delta State Contributory Health lnsurance Scheme particularly the informal sector plan. Religious groups and traditional rulers should be carried along as they stand as mouthpiece to the people.”

At the end of the tour and meetings, the Zonal Medical Director and Medical Directors of the Hospitals visited as well as top management staff thanked the Delta State Health Monitoring Team for visiting the hospital once again and appreciated the State Governor, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa for being so committed and dedicated in providing them the needed facilities and manpower to discharge their duties adding that the visit of the Health Monitoring Team has added much value to their health care facilities. Dr. Michael Nwoko concluded.

Health care facilities visited on the 9th of July, 2021 are:

1). General Hospital, Ekpan

2). General Hospital, Patani

3). Primary Health Care Centre, Patani

4). General Hospital,. Bomadi

5. Primary Health Care Centre, Bomadi