Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has reaffirmed his determination to transform the health sector and transform the state into a choice destination for medical tourism in the country.

The Governor, represented by his deputy, Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo made the comment when the renovated and re-equipped isolation ward at the Colliery Hospital, Enugu, which was commissioned recently, noting that his government would continue to make efforts to upgrade and equip existing health facilities and institutions.

“There is no doubt that the renovation and equipping of this ward would help in no small measure to enhance efficiency in our response to medical emergencies arising from cases or outbreaks of contagious and sometimes deadly diseases,” the governor said, adding that the Centre would also prove vital in the training of medical students and other medical professionals towards the effective containment of such cases.

Ugwuanyi therefore used the occasion to commend the state Ministry of Health for the commitment it had shown in the speedy completion of the project and equally thanked the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children's' Fund (UNICEF) and the Centre for Disease Control, Abuja, for their support.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Fintan Ekochin had earlier commended Ugwuanyi for his administration’s commitment to improve health care delivery in the face of dwindling resources. He explained that the Isolation ward was renovated and equipped to world standard to serve different hospitals in the state, and also to offer care to persons with infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, ebola, monkey pox and lassa fever, among others.

In their remarks, Dr. Onyinye Emefiele, WHO representative, and Dr. Ify Anyanyo, who represented UNICEF, thanked Ugwuanyi for his government’s immense contribution towards the actualisation of equitable health care delivery service in the state, adding that birth organisations would not relent in contributing to the growth of the health sector in the state.

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