By Marcus .N. Marcus
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State is one governor in Nigeria who is unsung no matter his achievements; be it in the areas of education, visible infrastructure, security or health where he has made his most impact, he is hardly complimented enough.
Some people believe he either hates the press or that the press hates him. There are those who think that he either ignored publicity or that publicity ignored him. However, whichever way one looks at it, Governor Ikpeazu and his government, no doubt, got the short end of the stick with the press during his time.
Dr Okezie Ikpeazu is by no means the worst governor as his opponents say. This writer tends to believe that he realised, rather too late, the need to reply his perceived ‘enemies’ with the same kind of bullet they fought him in their ensued media war.
Humanity would surely have one thing less to celebrate in the absence of proper healthcare availability, not only in Abia State but in the world as a whole. Scientists, healers and doctors have long been revered since the dawn of time because of their quintessential inclination to saving lives.
It will not be inaccurate to suggest that sickness or health related procedures claim the most lives globally. As cited by a renowned organization, Our World in Data; Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death in the world today.
Hence, the reason why Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State is driven with emphasis to down the surge of poor mortality rate in the state. And this prompted the promulgation of his numerous health initiatives and infrastructural development in the state.
Often identified as a silent crusader who prefers to let his work speak for him, even Governor Ikpeazu for once, couldn’t contain the media attention he got from his latest exertions.
The inauguration of a brand new multi-specialist hospital recently was met with great cheer and positivity across the state. Designed to focus on kidney and liver diseases, the medical center is the first of its kind in the state.
The Health sector has been a long-standing commitment throughout his tenure in office, with Gov Ikpeazu making it a prerequisite step to building a strong, healthy and stable state.
Step by step, it became evident through manifestations, that his plans for the health sector were not just hitting second gear but that he was following in the footsteps of his late mother, Mrs Ikpeazu who was a professional healthcare provider herself.
According to the publications from the World Bank, infant and maternal mortality reduced significantly by 71% since the state keyed into the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund initiative. A brand new pediatric hospital definitely played a monumental role in the much improved mortality rate of infants during his reign. This initiative sees expectant mothers deliver their babies free of charge.
Major shakeups were also made to rejig the accessibility of medical attention. Abia State is the only state that has connected over 400 primary healthcare centers to a team of doctors to the call- room online in real-time. This tele-health initiative has facilitated a new lease of life in the medical sector in the state.
A geriatric hospital for the old guard, however garnered modest attention and plaudits alike. Using a multi- dimensional approach to achieve this goal, the next step was the fixing of laboratories across all primary health care centers in the state.
These installments were established for accessible and effective diagnosis of patients, diffusing the stress of having to rely only on major hospitals for important prognosis.
Also in the pipeline alongside a brand new hospital is a state of the art CT Scan, possessing as many as 265 slides, which is surely a noteworthy investment that emblazons the levels attained by the Ikpeazu administration.
“Making moves” is a popular term accustomed to achievers. And that by all intents and purposes should best describe Governor Ikpeazu, who has proved to be a quiet but relentless leader dedicated to contributing his quota to the service of his people.
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