FG ready to respond to health threats – Minister

The federal government has pledged its readiness to strengthen capacity and respond to health threats in the country. 

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Emmanuel Ehanire, stated this on Saturday during the commissioning of projects at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo.

The projects commissioned include a molecular laboratory complex, a new oxygen plant, a patients’ clinic complex and medical out-patients clinic. Surgical out-patients clinic, Orthopaedic out-patients clinic, genealogy, pharmacy/laboratory unit, radiology complex, renovated and re-equipped intensive care complex all funded by the federal government under COVID-19 funds.

The minister, who expressed satisfaction with the management of the hospital, compared the trajectory of development in the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital to that of one of the frontline hospitals in India. 

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He said the commissioned projects proved that the federal government is committed to the provision of modern equipped health care centres to citizens in fulfilment of its mandate to Nigeria.

Speaking on brain drain in the nation’s health sector, the minister assured that the Federal Ministry of Health has now introduced a one-to-one policy that would allow a Chief Medical Director to make an immediate replacement of a doctor or nurse who is permanently out of service. 

While speaking, the Chief Medical Director, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Prof Ememabasi Bassey, said the infrastructural renaissance in the teaching hospital came through his initial assessment on assumption of office four years ago.