By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Enugu State Government, on Wednesday, reiterated its resolve to strengthen healthcare delivery in rural areas to ensure that it citizens enjoy optimal health meant to eradicate poverty.

The Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo, said this while flagging off the distribution of large consignment of health commodities to Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) through the Saving One Million Lives initiative.

The items distributed included: Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets, HIV/AIDS test kits; baby delivery apron, gallons of liquid soap, face mask, buckets with tap for hand washing; waste baskets and buckets for water collection.

Ezeilo noted that the health commodities would be distributed to 34 selected PHC centres in the 17 council areas of the state.

She added that it would be at least two PHC centres per council area.

According to her, Enugu State is fortunate to have a health-loving and passionate governor, His Excellency, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who believes in the well-being of our people.

``Our great leader, His Excellency Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has paid great attention to the up-lift of the downtrodden especially the healthcare of our rural people through the PHCs.

``Over the years, His Excellency has equipped PHC centres with more staff, more drugs, health commodities and consumables as well as built befitting Type-3 PHC centres to express his vision of healthcare for all.

``He has made training and retraining a continuous affair for all health workers to get them abreast with the latest health challenges and dynamism as well,’’ she said.

Speaking, state’s Commissioner of Health, Prof. Ikechukwu Obi, said that apart from all direct intervention to health facilities, Gov. Ugwuanyi had ensured provision of access roads to all health facilities at all levels.

Obi said that the state through the `health-passion’ of the governor had always been among the first states to key into national and international health programmes meant to improve the health of the people.

``Today, we have PPE and child delivery materials meant to serve our people at the rural areas to further drive home the vision of His Excellency to provide quality healthcare for all,’’ he said.

Dr Ifeyinwa Ugwunweze, state’s Programme Manager, Enugu Saving One Million Lives programme, said that programme, which is a Federal Government maternal and child health initiative, was meant to up-scale health interventions for mothers and child.

Ugwunweze said that the programme had over the years done far-reaching interventions on vaccination coverage among young children and contraceptive prevalence rate.

Others are; training of skilled birth attendance; vitamin-A supplementation among children between six months to five years; HIV counselling/testing among women attending antenatal care and use of insecticide treated nets by children.

Responding, Dr George Ugwu, Executive Secretary of Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), thanked the state government for its support to the PHC centres.

``For the past five years, all indicators of quality healthcare delivery at the rural areas have continued to improve due to sustained direct funding and support from Gov. Ugwuanyi to services provided at the PHC centres.

``We remain grateful to state government for the health commodities, consumables and drugs provided to make our rural people access quality healthcare at their doorsteps,’’ he said.

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