Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has showered encomiums on the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire for delivery of a 100-bed Mother and Child Hospital in Okrika area of Rivers State.
The MCC is equipped with state-or-the-art facilities including operating theatres, labour rooms, recovery rooms, private and general Wards, scanning Room, consultation rooms and laboratory, ultra-scan machine, vacuum extractor delivery set and an Emergency Cart with full compliments.
It’s one of the over 25 advanced medical facilities designed and equipped to help reduced child and maternal mortality already delivered across the country by the OSSAP-SDGs.
While commissioning the MCC, Governor Wike commended the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to President on SDGs (OSSAP-SDGs) for the quality of work on the facility as well as the state of the art equipment.
The Governor also lauded the member representing Okrika/Ogu-Bolo Federal Constituency, Hon. Bright Tamuno Gogo for facilitating the delivery of the project in his constituency.
“I commend the SDGs Office and I commend the lawmaker for the synergy. They’ve worked together and brought this project. For me, what I saw is quite amazing. This is my first time, I must say, since I became Governor to see Federal Government intervention in my state. It is not just the building; the hospital is also well equipped. I must commend the SDGs Office,” Governor Wike stated.
Impressed by what he saw during a brief tour of parts of the MCC, Governor Wike urged OSSAP-SDGs to deliver similar health facilities across the three senatorial districts of the state.
“I didn’t go round, but the part I have seen, you don’t need to be told of the quality of work. This is for the benefit of the people of Okrika in particular and Rivers people in general. The Mother and Child Hospital will be very important in taking care of our children and women, as well as reducing mortality rate. Of course, we also have one that we built but this is going to complement.
“I am quite impressed, and I have directed the Commissioner of Health to liaise with the SDGs Office to see how we can deploy manpower to take over the running of this place so that our women and children will start benefiting. This is not something we have to leave for later, we must put the equipment to immediate use.
“I am very happy and just like Oliver Twist and knowing the important role the state plays, this is not enough. Rivers State is quite big and knowing that it is the Oil centre of the country, you can see the population. We will like to have like two or three more of this at least in the three Senatorial Districts, that will go a long way in reducing the challenge of infant and maternal mortality in the state.
“I want to congratulate the SSA to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire and our representative, Hon. Bright Gogo for a job well done and for making sure that this project was started and completed. Today, we are able to commission it” the Governor said.
In her remarks, Princess Orelope-Adefulire stated as part of the bid to ensure that Nigerians, irrespective of location have access to good health healthcare services and attainment of general wellbeing especially as it relates to infants, neo-natal and maternal care, the OSSAP-SDGs has continued to deliver fully equipped hospitals and primary healthcare facilities across the country.
Princess Orelope-Adefulire noted that the project is a strategic intervention directly linked to the achievement of SDG-3 on ‘Quality Health and Well-being for all’ as well as other cross-cutting SDGs.
She added that interventions like the Mother and Child Centres are necessary to stop the primary and secondary effects of COVID-19 pandemic from reversing decades of human development gained through the SDGs.
The Presidential Adviser commended President Muhammadu Buhari for providing the needed resources for delivery of key interventions to governments at subnational levels to fast-track the achievement of SDGs.
Former Presidential Adviser on Millennium Development Goals, SSAP-MDGs, Dr. Precious Kalamba Gbeneol was also present at the inauguration of the Okrika MCC.
While commending her successor for the laudable project, she noted that the facility will help in addressing the challenges of infants, neo-natal and maternal death, while improving general health indices of the area.
On his part, Hon. Bright Gogo noted that the hospital will go a long way in putting an end to the decade long struggle to access basic health care in the Constituency and thanked the Federal Government for bringing the Hospital to Okrika.
He urged the beneficiary to access, use and protect the facility.
