Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti has commissioned the fully equipped 100 bed Sustainable Development Multi-Purpose Hospital, in Obeaja Autonomous Community, Ugwunagbo LGA built by the Federal Government under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Speaking during the ceremony, Governor Otti thanked President Bola Tinubu for his
commitment to the healthcare sector which saw to the completion of the long abandoned project.
The Governor also commented the FG for renaming the est while SDG Mother and Child Hospital to a Multipurpose Hospital that would accommodate the healthcare needs of other members of the society.
While emphasizing the importance of healthcare in his administrations strategic agenda, Governor Otto highlighted the 2001 Abuja Declaration, in which heads of African countries pledged to allocate at least 15% of their budgets to the healthcare sector and pointed out that Abia State’s 2024 budget has met the target.
“Healthcare occupies a major position in our strategy as a government. I am happy to report that the current 2024 budget of the Abia state government which we are half way in implementing, allocated 15% of the budget to healthcare.
“So what you have done here is consistent with the objective of this government “, Gov Otti stated.
The Governor noted that the goal of his administration for the health sector is in alignment with the Federal Governments Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to reduce maternal mortality to 70 per 1000 live births by 2030.
He said that Abia state has made significant progress in maternal health, with the state’s maternal mortality rate dropping from 1,047 per 1,000 in 2020 to 531 in 2022, and further to 136 in recent reports.
The Governor, however expressed optimism about future improvements assuring that with his administrations deliberate focus on the healthcare sector, the state would witness a downturn in infant Maternal mortality rates.
“We are doing well but we are not there yet. We still have a long way to go but we have moved.
“The current numbers are not here yet but I can assure you that by the time the numbers would start coming out, we will be getting downward to actually less than 80.
“And why should it be that way, because this government is very deliberate and intentional and focused on healthcare delivery”, the Governor remarked.
He unveiled plans for a comprehensive medical village, designed to curb medical tourism, which costs Nigerians between $1.6 billion and $2 billion annually.
“Our goal is that by the time we finish with our medical village, at least 10 percent of $2 billion will be spent in our state,” he announced.
Governor Otti who assured that the state government would assume the management of the newly commissioned hospital, promised 24-hour security, additional land for the building of doctors’ quarters, and the establishment of a facility management team to maintain high standards.
In an address, the wife of the Governor,Mrs Priscilla Otti represented by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs Adaeze Emetu said that the realization of the project is part of the unwavering commitment of the present administration in providing quality and accessible healthcare for all.
In her remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Adefuliren noted that the project conceived in her first tenure under former President Muhammadu Buhari has come to fulfil the dream of every mother for a safe delivery in a healthy and conducive environment.
Princess Adefuliren noted that the project is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Tinubu administration’s commitment to prioritizing key interventions with multiplier effects on multi- dimension poverty.
She said that similar projects have been executed across the 36 States of the federation under the Sustainable Development Goals to promote the living standard of the people.
In an address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Ifeyinwa Uma-Kalu said the hospital was established to serve the community without limitations as women and children bear the brunt of failed systems.
She appreciated Governor Alex Otti for changing the narratives in the healthcare services and described the project as another milestone towards achieving a sustainable and efficient healthcare services in the healthcare ecosystem of the state.
