Immediate past governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has said that his administration increased the life expectancy in Abia by addressing the maternal mortality rate of the state through his investments in rural health.
By Emma Ogbuehi
Immediate past governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has said that his administration increased the life expectancy in Abia by addressing the maternal mortality rate of the state through his investments in rural health.
The former governor in analyzing his health series said his administration solved issues of mother and child death in Abia which according to him was high in the state when he came into office in 2015.
Ikpeazu said his administration, through environmental health officers and other health professionals, went into state wide education for the citizens on how to prevent diseases with a strong focus on mother and child.
He added that to crown the efforts, his administration built 750 affordable healthcare centres across remote areas of the state and ensured sufficient funding for the healthcare centres.
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According to Ikpeazu, the 750 healthcare centres ensured accessible and quality healthcare services for all citizens of the state, especially pregnant women who desperately need care.
He said, “When health challenges arose, we sought effective solutions to ensure prompt and proper treatment. We recognized that continued health problems required ongoing efforts and responsiveness.
“Childbirth and infant mortality were critical areas of focus. We educated pregnant women on utilizing the healthcare facilities we provided.
“The government established over 750 affordable healthcare centres across the state, each managed by community leaders, and healthcare professionals, and supported by government funding.
“This infrastructure ensured accessible and quality healthcare services for all, especially pregnant women.”
Ikpeazu said that aside provision of free health to pregnant mothers, his administration ensured that healthcare services for women and infants were free of charge.
He added that in the first few months of childbirth, his administration took care of mothers and newborn children with records available for all to see.
“We made antenatal care readily available and took measures to protect both pregnant women and their unborn children.
“All healthcare services for women and infants were provided free of charge throughout the state,” Ikpeazu said.
Reports indicated that the Ikpeazu administration delivered the first mother and child specialist hospital located in Umuahia, as well as attracted the Sustainable Development Multipurpose Hospital, built by the federal government, in 2021.
It was equally gathered that after attracting the project which was done in most states, Ikpeazu fenced and installed solar lights at the facility but could not commission it before the exit of the administration due to scheduling challenges.
Sources close to Ikpeazu, told our correspondent that his claims of uplifting the health sector were recently verified by the Federal Government and found to be true.
According to the source, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, on Wednesday in Ugwunagbo Local Government Area of Abia State corroborated Ikpeazu’s claims.
The 100-bed Mother and Child Centre renamed “Sustainable Development Multipurpose Hospital” situated in Ugwunabo, was built by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs).
At the commissioning of the Sustainable Development Multipurpose Hospital, Orelope-Adefulire disclosed that since 2020, the maternal and child mortality rate of Abia state decreased.
She added that according to SDGs data, the Abia State Maternal Mortality Rate has declined from “1047 to 531 since 2020 and currently stands at 136″.
Orelope-Adefulire said President Tinubu is committed to providing quality and accessible healthcare for the citizens of the country.