Benue govt  reaffirms  commitment to quality healthcare delivery

From Attah Ede, Makurdi 

Benue State commissioner for health and human services, Paul Ejeh-Ogwuche has reiterated governor Hyacinth Alia’s unwavering commitment  to strengthening the healthcare delivery system and ensure quality medical services for all citizens in the State.

Ejeh-Ogwuche have the assurance when he led a high-powered delegation on a comprehensive assessment visit to the temporary site of General Hospital, Otukpo in Otukpo local government area of the State, yesterday.

He maintained that the visit underscores the determination of the administration of governor Alia, to reposition the health sector through strategic investments in infrastructure, improved working conditions for health professionals, and enhanced access to quality healthcare across the state.

Addressing members of staff after he was conducted  round the facility, Commissioner, commended the resilience, dedication, and professionalism of the hospital management and staff despite the challenges under which they currently operate.

He conveyed the goodwill and deep concern of Governor Hyacinth Alia for the health and wellbeing of the people of Benue State, 

The commissioner assured the workforce that the present administration remains committed to creating an enabling environment that will allow healthcare professionals to perform at their highest potential.

Ogwuche noted that Governor Alia’s administration considers healthcare a fundamental pillar of sustainable development and has continued to implement people-oriented policies aimed at revitalizing health institutions across the state. 

He assured the staff that the findings from the assessment would guide immediate and long-term interventions to improve healthcare services in Otukpo and beyond.

Ogwuche urged all health workers to remain committed to their professional responsibilities, uphold the highest standards of ethics,

and continue to support the administration’s vision of building a responsive, efficient, and patient-centred healthcare system that meets the aspirations of the people.

In his address of welcome, the Principal Medical Officer in Charge of General Hospital, Otukpo, James Diatah, expressed appreciation to the Commissioner and his team for the visit, describing it as a demonstration of the government’s genuine concern for the welfare of both health workers and patients. 

He briefed the delegation on the operational realities confronting the hospital at its temporary location, highlighting the limitations of the existing facility and appealing to the state government to expedite the relocation of the hospital to a permanent and more suitable site.

Following the briefing, Diatah conducted the Commissioner and his team on an extensive inspection tour of the temporary facility, where the team assessed the hospital’s infrastructure, 

service delivery points, equipment, staff working conditions, and other operational challenges requiring urgent government attention.

It will be recalled that the former General Hospital, Otukpo, was ceded by the Benue State Government to the Federal Government in 2022 to serve as the take-off site for the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo. 

Consequently, the state-owned General Hospital has since operated from a temporary facility.

The  Health Commissioner was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Cephas Hough; the Director of Medical Services, Solomon Wombo; 

The Executive Secretary of the Benue State Hospitals Management Board, Mathew Onoja; alongside other senior management staff of the Ministry and the Hospitals Management Board.