Siminalayi Fubara, the Governor of Rivers State, has stated that any effort to achieve progress in any community will fail if people's health is not sufficiently considered.
The governor revealed this in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chulwudi, while receiving a delegation of the Nigerian Medical Association's leadership, led by its National President, Dr Uche Ojinmah, at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Friday.
Fubara also approved Prof. Chizindu Alikor's appointment as the substantive Chief Medical Director of Rivers State University Teaching Hospital.
Fubara stated, “The governor and his team cannot succeed without your support. That is the truth, and any government that has the interest of its people at heart must pay adequate attention to the provision of quality healthcare services.
Healthcare goes with development. That is the truth. Your workers need to be healthy to be productive. If you put everything in place and you don’t have good health, then your people will be under-productive.”
The governor explained that health facilities, particularly those that provide intermediary services, are being renovated and fortified, and zonal hospitals will be revitalized while personnel are properly motivated because they are key partners in government.
In his statement, Ojinmah, the National President of the NMA, revealed that he went to Port Harcourt two years ago to implore the government to promote medical personnel, raise their salaries, and pay them hazard allowances, among other incentives, but was ignored.