Fubara Reaffirms Commitment To Prioritising Primary Healthcare Provision In Rivers

Sir Siminalayi Fubara, Governor of Rivers State, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to prioritising healthcare services in the state, particularly primary care.

This, he stated, is intended to ensure that Rivers residents receive the best healthcare services possible to improve their quality of life, particularly in addressing the impact of the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) programme on the state’s moderately and severely malnourished children.

Governor Fubara disclosed this during an unscheduled inspection of the Degema Zonal Hospital in the state’s Degema Local Government Area.

The Governor was accompanied by Dr. Adaeze Chidinma Oreh, Commissioner of Health; Hon. Anthony Soberekon, Caretaker Committee Chairman of Degema Local Government Area; and Dr. Bright Ogbonda, Chief Medical Director of Rivers State Hospitals Management Board. They also went to the Model Primary Healthcare Centre (MPHC) in Degema.

He spoke with Matron Florence Kalio, the Matron in Charge of the Primary Healthcare Centre, the staff on duty, members of the Ward Development Committee (WDC), and the patients themselves.

Governor Fubara, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, on Sunday, inquired about the challenges faced by the centre’s staff while also noting the impact of the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) programme on moderately and severely malnourished children in the area.

The centre is one of six IMAM sites set up by the Rivers State Government across the state in January 2024 to meet the healthcare needs of rural residents.

The Governor stated, “I have carefully listened to you and understand the challenges you face in carrying out your responsibilities.

“I want to assure you that our administration is committed to providing the best healthcare services possible to the people of Rivers.

I want you to know that health is a top priority for our administration. We are prioritising healthcare, particularly primary care, and we will do everything we can to ensure that you have everything you need to provide the services that the people require,” he stated.

In her remarks, Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh, Commissioner for Health, praised Governor Fubara for his commitment to ensuring the provision of universal healthcare services to Rivers residents, emphasising that the administration’s significant investment in the sector demonstrated its desire to prioritise people’s well-being while also catalysing the state’s overall development.
Dr. Oreh explained that the Rivers State Government established the IMAM programme in collaboration with key national and international partners to address the core healthcare needs of malnourished children across the state, among other things.

She stated that the Governor’s efforts to support the centre will undoubtedly strengthen the health sector and the state’s economy, aiming to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for healthcare.

Previously, Matron Florence Kalio, in charge of the Primary Healthcare Centre, stated that the services provided have assisted in addressing the challenges faced by the most vulnerable people in the healthcare centre’s targeted areas.

She specifically mentioned the centre’s efforts in antenatal, delivery, newborn care, immunisation, deworming, infant and child growth monitoring, nutrition supplementation, family planning, and reproductive health services.

Matron Kalio emphasised that the centre has also provided excellent services in the areas of cervical cancer screening, HIV testing, birth registration, health promotion, and communicable and non-communicable disease diagnosis, and she thanked the Governor for his assistance in allowing the centre to carry out its mandate for the people of the area.

Degema MPHC serves the diverse riverine population of Rivers State’s Kalabari axis, offering a wide range of healthcare services including antenatal, delivery, and newborn care, immunisation, deworming, infant and child growth monitoring, nutrition supplementation, family planning, and reproductive health.

It also provides cervical cancer screening, HIV testing, birth registration, health promotion, and disease diagnosis, both communicable and noncommunicable.

These services are intended to meet the majority of rural healthcare needs, thereby significantly improving population health outcomes such as maternal, newborn, infant, and child mortality rates in the state.

MPHC services also seek to lower the incidence of noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.

The Governor’s signature on the centre’s Attendance Register was the high point of the visit.