Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu has pledged 24-hour services for the newly built 260 Type Two Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across the state to improve healthcare delivery.
Mr Mbah made this announcement during his supervisory visit to the newly completed Emene PHC on Sunday in Enugu.
His administration is constructing 260 Type Two PHCs across the state with some already completed and others in progress.
Emene, located in the Enugu East Local Government Area, was one of the PHCs visited by the governor.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring these facilities offered round-the-clock services.
“Each Type Two PHC will have 24-hour electricity, powered sustainably by renewable energy.
“There will also be staff quarters to ensure healthcare officers are available to meet the people’s health needs without delay, along with access to water, sanitation, and hygiene,” he said.
Mr Mbah further assured the people of Emene that a Type Three healthcare facility would be built in the area to complement the Type Two PHC, catering to the community’s needs due to its population density.
The governor explained that the initiative was prompted by alarming statistics on maternity and under-five mortality rates, which he described as unacceptable.
“We needed to act quickly, and this is why we’re focused on building functional healthcare facilities across both urban and rural areas,” Mbah emphasised.
Additionally, the governor revealed that similar interventions were ongoing in secondary healthcare facilities, with the renovation of 22 cottage and general hospitals.
He also mentioned plans for a world-class 300-bed international hospital in the state.
“We will attract top-notch medical professionals to provide world-class healthcare services to Enugu people,” Mr Mbah assured.
Mr Mbah also commended the Enugu East chairman, Beloved-Dan Anike, for registering 5,000 residents for universal healthcare insurance and encouraged other local government chairmen and state civil servants to follow suit.
He urged the people of Emene to take ownership of the facility and ensure its continued functionality.
Dr Chukwumuanya Igboekwu, zonal coordinator of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the South-East, lauded Mr Mbah for revitalising the state’s PHCs and investing in the economic prosperity of the people.
He encouraged the governor to prioritise universal healthcare coverage as an investment that would benefit the state.
Dr Ifeyinwa Ani-Osheku, executive secretary of the Enugu State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, described Mr Mbah’s interventions in primary healthcare as life-saving and radical.
She noted that the Emene PHC had already registered 140 residents and facilitated the delivery of two babies, named after the governor, within three weeks of operation.
