From Jude Aguguo Owuamanam, Owerri
The Imo State government has taken over the Nguru/Umuowa Primary Health Care Centre and medical equipment donated by the United States of America (USA) branch of Uguru Umuar Development Union.
The Primary Health Care Centre is situated in Ngor/Okpala Local Government Area of the state.
According to the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Prosper-Ohayagha Success, the move to take over the health centre is to ensure proper management and maintenance of the facility and its equipment.
Success, who was represented at the occasion by the Permanent Secretary, Lady Morah Chux-Okoro, commended the indigenes of the community for their efforts towards enhancing the wellbeing of the people of the locality.
On the request for provision of security at the facility, the commissioner advised them to liaise with the transaction committee chairman and the police in the local government for assistance.
He assured them of government’s readiness to ensure that the facility is functional and appealed to them to own the property by protecting it from vandals. He also sensitized the indigenes on the need to patronize the health centre facility.
In her speech, the Executive Secretary of Imo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Rev Sr. Dr. Maria- Joannes Uzoma, said the facility will help to save the lives of the people living in the community, particularly, pregnant women.
She said the health centre is among 305 PHCs that would be renovated by the government soon. She urged the people not to abandon the facility, encouraging them to instead report any misconduct by the staff.
Earlier in his welcome address, the chairman of the community’s health committee, Mr. Bona Nlemadim, said the project was started in 2019 by indigenes of the community living in the USA.
He said it has 10 beds in place, a complete set of basic primary health care centre laboratory equipment and a delivery section.
He assured on sensitizing the people to patronize the health centre and appealed to the government to help provide security and a perimeter fence for the protection of the facility and staff.
