From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano has commissioned the renovated Orumba General Hospital which had suffered neglect in the hands of successive administrations in the state.
The hospital was established in 1957 by the former Eastern Regional government.
The renovation of the Orumba General Hospital by the state government which was in partnership with RISE Clinic, USA under Anambra Business Coalition (ABC) was in tandem with the approved design under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to re-engineer four hospitals in the state, including RISE Clinic, Onitsha.
Obiano while commissioning the hospital recently expressed profound joy at the magnificent job done at the hospital, saying that the joint venture which was aimed at improving the healthcare delivery of the people of the state would also provide employment opportunities for the host communities.
He advised the people to bring professional medical skills who are eligible to work in the hospital or force the government and its partners to seek its workforce from elsewhere.
Obiano, who was visibly excited at the level of transformation at the hospital under the supervision of Anambra Business Coalition (ABC), promised to engage four new hospitals under the venture for effective management of healthcare services and its personnel in the state.
He stated that 80 per cent of the resources for the renovation of the hospital was provided by RISE Clinic, while the remaining 20 per cent was provided by the state government.
The Managing Director, RISE Clinic, Dr. Hien Tran, disclosed that RISE Clinic was in the state to make a great change in the health sector as witnessed in the four pilot hospitals under the three senatorial zones of the state, including Onitsha.
She said that the intervention of RISE Clinic in the state health sector was aimed at reducing the individual financial health burden of the locals, urging the host communities to seek medical attention at the facility as it has been positioned to take proper care of all their medical needs.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Akabuike in his remarks, regretted that such a magnificent facility that was built under the colonial government to carter for the health care needs of the local people were abandoned by successive administrations until the intervention of the present government under Governor Obiano, advising the host communities to make effective use of the facilities in the hospital.
In their separate remarks a major stakeholder in RISE Clinic and medical practitioner, Dr Emeka Okeke and Project Manager, Anambra Business Coalition (ABC), Mr Johnny Ndiveh commended the host communities for the enormous cooperation accorded the management and staff of Orumba General Hospital during the renovation work and charged the people to undergo periodic medical test in the hospital as new facilities have been installed, including the sinking of a functional bore-hole which was also inspected by the governor during the commissioning.