Tony John, Port Harcourt
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said that the process for the re-positioning of all levels of the health sector is effectively on course, with the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment for Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH).
Governor Wike also declared that the total rehabilitation of structures at the BMSH would create the right environment for quality tertiary healthcare.
He declared this, on Monday, in an interview with journalists, after an inspection visit to the hospital in Port Harcourt, saying that the health sector would continue to receive priority attention from his administration.
The governor, who was accompanied on the project inspection by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, said that majority of the equipment procured by the State Government for the hospital have arrived.
He said, “Our objective is to improve the standard of the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital as a centre of excellence in tertiary healthcare.
“In terms of equipment, the contractors have done well. Eighty percent of the equipment have arrived the hospital premises and they will be installed as soon as the rehabilitation”.
He, however, noted that the progress of work on the structural rehabilitation is slow. Hence, the contractors should expedite action.
“We believe the contractors should deploy more workforce for the rehabilitation of the hospital. The State Government is doing what is necessary to enhance the quality of the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital”, he said.
The governor also inspected the ongoing reconstruction of the Doctors Quarters at the BMSH. He advised the contractors to improve on the pace of work.
He assured that funding of the projects would be sustained early completion.
The governor was briefed during the project inspection by Dr. Paul Kua, Medical Director of BMSH, and Mrs. Ajumoke Okpu, Director of Nursing.
Daily Sun gathered that Wike’s administration has completed the reconstruction and equipping of 13 General Hospitals spread across the three senatorial districts of the state.