By kelechi ugo
Despite the controversies that have continued to trail the planned concession of hospitals in Imo State to private operators, the Imo state Government has given reasons for the on going hand-over of hospitals in the state.
Making the revelation known to newsmen in Owerri on Tuesday, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Obi Njoku averred that the deplorable nature of hospitals before the inception of the present Rescue Mission regime in the state was the brain behind the concession policy for which all the hospitals will be well managed.
Said he, “we are reactivating the hospitals and equipping them with necessary facilities that would help to attain the high level of discharging effective services to the people. After all, Governor Okorocha received medical attention in a hospital at Orlu before he went to a hospital in London for a second opinion because they are certain things we cannot do here yet until the hospitals are fully equipped.
Dr Obi-Njoku maintained that Imo is polio-free status following its regular campaigns against polio via immunization programs for children under 5 years and canceling of other killer diseases in the state. He revealed the plan of his ministry to embark on immunization program any moment from now.
Fielding questions from journalists on the state of the on going establishment of 27 hospitals in Imo state, the health commissioner assured Imolites that government is doing its best to ensure that all the hospitals are completed adding that that of Ikeduru is almost completed.
He said the reason for establishing 27 modern hospitals rather than renovate the existing ones was to meet up the standard of health care delivery so as to make Imo state a health care destination for Nigerians and neigbours noting that the new hospitals are being built by Public Private Partnership (PPP), program aimed at investing in Imo State.
