Akwa Ibom government has given approval for the renovation of 71 health centres across the state to boost health care delivery at the grassroot.
It has also said that a new general hospital would be built and commissioned in Ibiono Ibom, the largest Local Council in the state before the end of the present administration.
This was made known by the Permanent Secretary at the state Ministry of Health Dr Patrick Eshiet at a stakeholders in respect of the annual budget preparation of the ministry in Uyo yesterday.
Essien who noted that no administration had impacted so much in health care as the present one stated that the general hospital would address the yearning of the people who had not had one since the creation of the state.
State Commissioner for Health, Prof Augustine Umoh rold the stakeholders that the interface was necessary in the state government’s quest to achieve a robust health sector as inputs from the stakeholders remained strategic.
Umoh said the proposals on the 2023 budget should be a true reflection of the actual needs of the health care system and charged participants to be fully and actively involved in the deliberations.
He explained that with paucity of funds, there was need to channel resources to the most critical areas, hence the need for the engagement.
Some of the issues raised included the need to recruit more medical personnel, upgrade of the colleges of nursing, procurement of up to date equipment with particular reference to the laboratories and the need to provide access to quality drugs amongst others.
