Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said his administration is committed to transforming the health sector to provide residents improved access to essential healthcare services.

Mr Otti said this on Friday when he received a delegation of the Revive Medical Team, a Belgium-based NGO in the state on a medical mission, in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area.

The governor expressed the government’s readiness to strengthen its healthcare system and overhaul the initiative for the betterment of the people.

He said that the government had rehabilitated the state-owned health institutions, including the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, which played a huge role in the restoration of the institution’s accreditation.

He said that plans were underway to build a medical village which would make the state a preferred destination for people seeking medical care.

“When we say a medical village, we want everything to be found there; accommodation, and necessary facilities so that people can come home and receive proper medical healthcare,” Mr Otti said.

He added that the government was poised to reposition the healthcare system of the state into a point of attraction for competent professionals in diaspora that would be interested in practising in Nigeria.

Mr Otti said the government was renovating 15 general hospitals in the state simultaneously, adding that they were at various stages of development prior to their dilapidated state before the inception of the present administration.

He commended the revive medical team for its services to the people of Abia and the leader of the team, Smart Oriaku, for single handedly bringing the medical professionals to Abia.

“If all of us who have been blessed in one way or the other do what you’re doing, I’m sure this place would be a better place for everyone,” he said.

Mr Otti granted approval for the team to use Abia as the pilot state for a medical programme, focused on improved breast cancer treatment and the conduct of medical missions in Abia, at least twice annually.

In response to a list of 30 individuals who could not be assisted by the team due to time constraints, Mr Otti said the government would foot the bills of the treatment of those booked for surgery by the team.

Earlier, Mr Oriaku said the mission was solely sponsored by his family, the late Rev. David Ukeje Oriaku family of Okaiuga Nkwoegwu, in the Umuahia North LGA in the spirit of giving back to society.

He said that the team had within the last 13 days performed more than 700 consultations, conducted more than 60 successful surgeries ranging from goiter to hernia, with proper post-operative care to ensure there were no complications.

Mr Oriaku said laboratory tests and scans ranging from CT scan to echography and other laboratory tests as recommended by the surgical team had been paid for.

He also said that the sponsors of the mission paid the medical bills of women that gave birth at the venue of the exercise.

Mr Oriaku informed Mr Otti of the new discovery in the cure of breast cancer without the victim going through the pains of chemotherapy, pointing out that the team would want to use Abia as the base for the pilot phase.

He added that the feat would make the state a preferred destination for people with such health needs.

He urged the government not to relent in prioritising the primary and secondary healthcare delivery in the state and commended it for the massive infrastructure development around the state.

Mr Oriaku thanked the government for its support towards making the exercise a success, adding that he was among those that nearly gave up hope on Abia.

(NAN)