TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
National President of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Innocent Ujah, has said that the Mother and Child Hospital in Rivers State will solve a major healthcare challenge in the country.
Prof. Ujah made the assertion yesterday, when he joined a team of Rivers professionals to inspect facilities at the Mother and Child Hospital.
The NMA President, who is also the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Oturkpo, said there has been a lack for the care of mother and child in the country for years.
He stated that this gesture of the State government serves as a response to addressing healthcare need.
“I am a gynaecologist with over 35 years of experience. I can tell you that we have lacked the care for the mother and child health needs. This is clearly a response to that need.
“As you know, our health indices are very poor in this country. One of the indicators of development is the quality of the care of the mother and child.
“There is need for us to have health facilities that will help us to reduce the high maternal deaths in pregnancy and childbirth. Infant mortality needs to be reduced too.
“This Mother and Child Hospital will serve as the fulcrum by which we can turn around the system in the South-South. This will ensure that we have quality health for our mothers and children.
“I commend the Government of Rivers State led by Governor Nyesom Wike for the concept of Mother and Child Hospital that is totally complete”, he said.
Also, Chairman of NMA, Rivers branch, Prof. Chizindu Alikor, described the concept of Mother and Child Hospital as novel.
Prof. Alikor stated that they expect the deployment of appropriate manpower and specialists to sustain quality health service in the hospital.
According to him, they were delighted to know that the hospital will serve as a training and research centre to develop more manpower for the sector.
Similarly, the Rivers State Chairman of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Chima Ogbu, said the health facility showed the readiness of Rivers government to key into the Millennium Development Goals of child and maternal health.
He noted that as a deliberate effort of government, it would increase access to quality health for mothers and children.
Mr. Ogbu stated that his association was delighted that medication challenge that often bedevil hospital services has been given appropriate consideration.
According to him, Mother and Child Hospital will also open up an avenue for medical and health tourism for the State.