Delta 2019 Budget Defence: DTHA Advocates Quality Healthcare for Deltans, As Health Ministry Proposes N8.6bn for 2019

The Delta State House of Assembly has stressed the need for Deltans to access quality and affordable healthcare in all government owned health institutions in the state.

The Chairman, House Committee on Health, Hon Alphonsus Ojo gave the advice when the state commissioner for Health, Dr Mordi Ononye, appeared before the Committee with the Heads of the various parastatals under the Ministry to defend their 2019 proposed budget.

Dr Ojo flanked by other members of the Committee, emphasized that health is wealth and a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.

He said “all hands must be on deck to implement the lofty programs of the Okowa administration in the health sector” and commended the efforts of the state government to upgrading the health facilities in the state.

Hon Ojo who represents Ukwuani Constituency urged parastatals under the Ministry of Health to live up to expectations.

The Lawmaker assured that the Committee would look into the proposed estimates of the Ministry in order to achieve their targets and will continue to synergies with the ministry to achieve more for the state in the health sector.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Mordi Ononye had announced a proposed budget of the sum of N8.6bn for the ministry for 2019 fiscal year.

The Health Commissioner said the proposed sum was to enable government provide more quality and affordable healthcare to Deltans in line with the SMART Agenda of the Okowa administration.

He said government was working tirelessly to provide solid health infrastructures across the state as that was key in providing quality healthcare to the people hence government has proposed the sum of N363m for the renovation and completion of health care centres.

Dr Ononye said the sum of N1.7bn has been proposed for the renovation and expansion of existing hospitals across the state, remodeling and rehabilitation of the Eku Baptist hospital, N45m, maternal and child care centre at Warri and Ekpan, N45m and development of School of Health Technology, Ufuoma, N230m as well as the upgrading of 14 central hospitals to specialist hospitals at Warri, Ughelli, Agbor and Sapele.

Dr Mordi Ononye (left) Defending its Ministry’s 2019 Budget

He disclosed that the construction of the Asaba central hospital will gulp N840.7m while the sum of N10m has been proposed for the renovation of Government hospital, Ojobo in Burutu local government council, equipping of the Delta State Specialist hospital, Oghara, N50m and another N50m for the Specialist hospital library, Oghara.

The Health Commissioner noted that efforts were on to strengthen the activities of the State Agency for the control of HIV and Aids, SACA with N37m proposed for the agency in 2019, Contributory Health Commission, N1.2bn, Disease Control and Management of Infectious Disease Outbreak, N124m, State Primary Health Care Development Agency, N542m, provision of medical equipment for hospitals and health institutions, N642m and N635m for the construction of a Trauma center in Agbor.

Dr Ononye said the State Secretariat Clinic will receive a boost in 2019 as the sum of N5m has been proposed for it’s construction and equipping, construction of kidney and dialysis centre at the Specialist hospital, Oghara, N5m, supply of medical equipment to Okwe General Hospital, Okwe, N15m, immunization activities and cold chain management, N35m and E-health, N3m among others.

On the budget performance of the School of Health Technology, Ofuoma the Bursar, Mr Augustine Umale said the school achieved 86.22% for capital projects.

Mr Umale said the approved budget of the institution was N52m for capital projects and N43m was the actual expenditure between January to October.

He said the institution has proposed the sum of N250m for capital project in 2019 with N60m proposed for the construction of two blocks of six classrooms each, N150m for the construction of perimeter wall fencing with a befitting gate as well as N40m for accreditation programs.