BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

PORTHARCOURT—RIVERS State Government has spent about N100 billion on healthcare delivery system in the state.

This was disclosed by the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker at an event organised at the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital, Port Harcourt to appreciate ophthalmologists (eye specialists) from United States-based Hospitals for Humanity, who performed successful surgery with eyesight restored to over 200 glaucoma and cataract patients in collaboration with the Rivers State Government, weekend.

He said that Governor Amaechi had released almost N100 billion for the health care delivery, describing him as having a very kind heart for the people of the state.

He thanked God for enthroning Amaechi as the Rivers State governor, adding that the governor had judiciously expended state funds for the people’s benefits.

Parker said: “We have to thank God because He is the One that has made all these things possible. He is the One that at the right time decided to bring back Amaechi from exile to govern Rivers State. He is the One that made him (Amaechi) have a kind heart for the people of Rivers State.

“I have been a doctor in this system for a couple of years before becoming a commissioner, and I have senior colleagues here, I don’t think it has been this good for the health ministry as Governor Amaechi has done. If I am lying, please somebody should oppose me.

“Since we came, just last night we were having a small chat and we were looking at how much had been expended on the Ministry of Health; almost a N100 billion has gone into free health care service for Rivers people.

“We have done about 150 primary healthcare centres, general hospitals and equipped them and in staff development we have employed over 200 medical doctors, with nurses, 400, and given incentives to doctors to work harder.”

“We have reinstituted training and retraining of medical personnel and today our push is to make Braithwaite Memorial Hospital to be a specialist hospital as the name implies, to become a teaching hospital to train young doctors and other health professionals. That is how much he (Amaechi) has put into the ministry of health.”