Delta APC bombs Okowa: Govt hospitals in shambles, fix them
The Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC has raised alarm over what it described as the poor condition of state-owned hospitals in the state amidst the COVID-19 pandemic with a call on the state governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa to fix them.
The party also lamented the non-availability of Personal Protective Equipments, PPE for medical personnel, adding that doctors and other health professionals working in the affected hospitals are expressing fears in the discharge of their professional duties as tens of their colleagues in the state have fallen victim to the ailment.
The party in a statement yesterday by its publicity secretary, Sylvester Imonina, also questioned the operations of the Delta State Health Insurance Scheme adding that despite the monthly deductions particularly from salaries of civil servants in the state, “the scheme is non-existent.”
The party said: “From available information, government hospitals are at the verge of total collapse if drastic measures are not put in place to save them. Amongst the numerous factors working against the health sector are but not limited to the lack of adequate and professionalized manpower to man the sector. “Most medical doctors in our state-owned hospitals are disinterested in their work and some are even afraid of attending to Deltans who have health-related issues. This is not unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic, inadequate Personal Protective Equipment and poor or no motivation to health workers particularly medical doctors.
“Knowledge of the existence of Delta State Health Insurance Scheme by Deltans is zero, because of the lack of awareness by the populace, the need to key into it and make effective use of the scheme is non-existent. “Available statistics show that billions of naira find their way to the State government coffers on a monthly basis because of the deduction from worker’s salaries in respect of the scheme which is used by less than 20 per cent of civil servants in the state.
“The use of concoction (local herbs) as an alternative to treatment of health-related issues is on the increase in the State because of this ineptitude of government which has become very shameful and embarrassing.” Vanguard
