Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi has pledged to heavily invest in healthcare services for the wellbeing of citizens of the state.

Mr Ododo made the pledge on Monday while addressing members of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and other healthcare professionals in Lokoja, after the conclusion of a three-day medical outreach in the state.

The governor said that his commitment to sustain investment in the health sector and the just-concluded free medical outreach were in line with his campaign promises to make healthcare more affordable and accessible to citizens.

“It’s my desire to ensure that healthcare remains the top priority of my administration.

“This is because a healthy society is a wealthy society. I will continue to support you, the medical professionals, in this exercise and ensure that it reaches our people in all parts of the state.

“I want you to count on my support as we work together to make the free medical outreach a flagship programme in our calendar of medical activities in the state.

“So that we can make healthcare more accessible and affordable to our people,” he said.

He disclosed that he was set to unveil a flagship healthcare intervention that would deliver free medical services to residents in all parts of the state.

The governor called on all medical practitioners to sustain their support for his administration and expand the scope of their collaboration with the government through the state ministry of health.

In his remarks, Dr Abdulazeez Adams, the state commissioner for health, commended the medical team for the successful conduct of the free medical outreach.

He expressed pleasure that the medical outreach was a clear testament to the dedication of medical professionals working in Kogi state.

Mr Adams commended Mr Ododo for the attention given to the welfare of healthcare professionals in the state and for providing an enabling environment for medical professionals to excel in delivery of healthcare services to people of the state.

Also speaking, the spokesman of the committee of NMA past chairmen, David Aimila, described the free medical outreach as a high-powered intervention that delivered unprecedented interventions in various fields of medicine and healthcare services.

Mr Aimila praised Mr Ododo for the priority accorded to the health sector and professionals by the administration.

In his remarks, Prof. Solomon Avidime, chief medical director, Reference Hospital Okene, and host of the medical team, applauded the governor for the health-friendly posture of the administration.

The CMD said that Reference Hospital Okene was eager to host many such medical missions, which he noted complemented the free health insurance policy of the state government by bridging the gap in healthcare coverage across the state.

(NAN)