Abia State Commissioner for Health, Enoch Uche, has said the state government met the United Nations (UN) 15 per cent benchmark for budget allocation to the health sector in this year’s budget.
Uche stated this at the inauguration of the state’s Eye Care Centre at Amachara General Hospital, Umuahia, the capital, describing the achievement as novel in the state’s history.
He said establishing the centre is part of the government’s commitment and ongoing retrofitting of the hospital to provide international standard medical services.
“Governor Alex Otti committed health as the priority. What we’re doing here today is to demonstrate the commitment to translate the hospital to a global standard,” he asserted.
Similarly, the chief medical director of the state’s Specialist and Diagnostic Centre, Chimezie Okwuonu, said the governor had provided all required to reposition the facility, including staff recruitment and welfare.
Okwuonu, who noted that there had been a steady rise in the number of patients at the facility, underlined the importance of regular eye check-ups and medication adherence to avert further damage to the eye.
In her remarks, the state’s Eye Health Management Bureau administrator and senior special assistant to the governor on special duties, Betty Emeka-Obasi, said the centre ranks among the best in the country.
“Our goal, therefore, is to address the challenges of eye care, especially the prevalence of avoidable blindness and visual impairment in the state, so every resident can benefit from optimal eye health.
“We will strive to build a robust eye health care system in the state through a multi-faceted approach encompassing a wide range of initiatives,” she stated.
In their respective addresses, the special adviser to the governor on political affairs, Acho Obioma, and the mayor of Umuahia South local government, Ejikeme Obike, expressed delight at upgrading the hospital.
Also, the traditional ruler of Umuokorodo Ancient Community, Eze Akpunku Iheuwa, and the president general of Amachara, Amara Uchendu, represented at the event by his vice, Hope Ekwuruibe, appreciated the ongoing changes in the hospital.
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