By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The lawmaker representing Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Dr. Richard Gbande has flagged off the distribution of over N190million worth of medical equipment and furnitures to Primary Healthcare Centres, PHCs, in his constituency.

The distribution which is being done in conjunction with the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy Centre and Hospital Zaria, was flagged off yesterday in Katsina-Ala LGA in the presence of stakeholders and the Local Government Council Chairmen of the three LGAs that make up the constituency.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Gbande said the intervention was his modest contribution to intervene in the health needs of his constituents the bulk of who live in rural communities that lack secondary healthcare facilities.

“So it my contribution to ensure that my constituents at least have access to functional health facilities to take care of their healthcare needs irrespective of their location in the rural communities.

“No doubt that once they are healthy they can partake in the economic emancipation of themselves and to that extent contribute their quota to the meaningful development of our society.

“The equipment is worth well over N190million and this is the first time any constituency is benefiting from this kind of intervention in the state and we will ensure its equitable distribution to all the PHCs in the constituency as well as its proper use,” he said.

The lawmaker who pointed out that PHCs that were located in the rural communities require all the support and intervention to be fully functional said, “I believe that with what we have done, the PHCs in my constituency will be sufficiently positioned to solve the health challenges of my people.”

In their separate remarks, the Chairman of Ukum LGA, Mr. Steve Ayua, his Katsina-Ala counterpart Alfred Atera, that of Logo LGA, Terseer Agber and stakeholders in the federal constituency commended Dr. Gbande for “the huge intervention in the health sector of the constituency.”

Flagging of the distribution, the Provost, College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, Prof. Linus Saalu acknowledge that the intervention was massive and if put to good use would impact on the health needs of the rural people in the federal constituency.

The donated items included fridges, modern hospital beds, mattresses, laboratory equipment, trolley stretchers, mackintosh thick sheets, gas burners, filing cabinets, blood lancet, assorted binoculars microscope, chairs and several other medical equipment.