Governor Alex Otti's First 100 Days: Transforming Healthcare for Abia's Pensioners – Commissioner

 

Governor Alex Otti's First 100 Days: Transforming Healthcare for Abia's Pensioners – Commissioner   

In Governor Alex Otti's first 100 days in office, more than 4,000 pensioners in Abia State have been enrolled in his free Health Care Insurance Scheme. The State's Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, revealed this achievement, emphasizing that the scheme was initiated to alleviate the pensioners' difficulties in accessing medical care due to its high cost.

Dr. Okoronkwo's team conducted outreach across all 17 Local Government Areas of the state, and as of September 7th, over 4,000 pensioners have been registered. They received cards with their photos, and their information was added to the scheme's database.

Under this program, all medical treatments are provided at no cost. In severe cases such as cancer or surgery, the Ministry of Health will seek funding from the state government to support the ailing pensioner without burdening them financially.

To access medical services through the scheme, beneficiaries can visit health centers. If a case cannot be managed there, they will be referred to a government hospital affiliated with the program.

Furthermore, Governor Otti's administration is actively renovating three general hospitals in the state's three senatorial zones, with two of them set for commissioning. The Abia Specialist Hospital, previously known as MeCure, and the specialist/diagnostic center have been restored and are ready for inauguration. Work is ongoing at the Amachara Specialist Hospital, which will also receive 24-hour power supply and state-of-the-art equipment for various tests.

Dr. Okoronkwo also mentioned the reconstruction of the Abayi Cottage Hospital, which will be completed in the coming weeks. Regarding the Umunneato General Hospital, work was briefly halted due to security concerns, but it will resume soon.

Governor Otti has committed to extending free medical services until December 2023. Additionally, seven more hospitals will be added in various locations to enhance healthcare access. Dr. Okoronkwo assured that healthcare workers are being redistributed across all LGAs to ensure equal access and evaluate if additional hiring is needed. The primary goal is to provide the best medical care possible to the people of Abia State."