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HomeNewsA’IBOM GOVT TO PARTNER UNITED STATES ON HEALTHCARE DELIVERY

A’IBOM GOVT TO PARTNER UNITED STATES ON HEALTHCARE DELIVERY


Akwa Ibom State Government has expressed it readiness to partner the United States of America in healthcare delivery and other development efforts aimed at making life meaningful to humanity.

Governor Udom Emmanuel announced this during a courtesy visit on my him by the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. W. Stuart Symington at the Executive Council Chamber, Government House, Uyo.

He said that his administration has invested so much to transform the healthcare delivery System to save lives, adding that no purpose driven government can talk about human capital development without a functional health care system.

“I must say here that your mission is clear. I know I made a statement which I defended all over about our healthcare delivery system here, vis-à-vis various areas of infectious diseases that you are interested in. I appreciate your efforts across the globe, to save lives. Our investment in healthcare system here is also to save lives, because you cannot be talking about human capital development without healthcare system. You won’t achieve it”, he stated.

Governor Emmanuel who expressed appreciation to the United States and its development agencies for their vision to partner the state in the fight against HIV/AIDS to reduce the scourge in the country and other countries within the Gulf of Guinea, however said that as a border state in the coastal region which records a huge traffic of people from other states and countries to transact businesses, it is expedient to partner the USAID to save humanity and the global community.

He said, “I can reassure you on behalf of all of us in this room that we are partners in progress and we’ll do everything to ensure that we save lives.

“Even though we would not have the 130,000 people you are targeting to diagnosed and treat on HIV/AIDS, we can recruit them from neighbouring states, not necessarily Nigeria, so far they are Africans.

“Akwa Ibom is a border state and a coastal area attractive to so many other countries and we have a whole lot in the water that people can actually earn a living from so we’ll see what we can do to accommodate everybody that passes through here be it water, air or land, just to help the entire world”.

The State Chief Executive described as commendable the 130,000 patients-target for treatment by the agency to address the menace of HIV/ AIDS and called for accuracy and transparency in the records and expenditure of funds allotted for the programme.

Governor Emmanuel therefore urged USAID to collaborate with health institutions in the state in the discharge of their duties and expressed the confidence that with the facilities on ground, Akwa Ibom suits the pilot scheme.
He disagreed on the notion that over 30 Million dollars have been expended in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic, explaining that there were no verifiable records nor input from the relevant Agencies in the state.

In his words: “I came up openly to dispute the last figure that was mentioned in the meeting that you spent over $30m in control of HIV/AIDS in Akwa Ibom State. I stood to be corrected and up till today nobody has actually challenged me that you spent that amount and I have not seen records that you actually spent that.

How can I sit as a governor and I did not know that the United State Government has spent up to $30m in Akwa Ibom State; how did the money come in? who collected it? Who spent it? How were they accounted for? Which hospitals benefited from it?

“So this time around, I urge you to set up a committee that can work with our Health Management Board to ensure that whatever is spent in healthcare is accounted for”.

Earlier, the US Ambassador to Nigeria Mr. Stuart Symington congratulated Governor Emmanuel on his reelection and his administration’s investment in the healthcare delivery system as well as the industrialization drive.

“I want to congratulate you and all those who have been chosen by the people of your state to serve the state and this nation. That is the greatest responsibility and I look forward with all of my colleagues to seeing you carry that responsibility”, the Ambassador stated.

He explained that the visit which is his last as the US Ambassador to Nigeria was to intimate the government and people of the state of the United States decision and contributions to stem the HIV/AIDS.

The Envoy added that the partnership would facilitate necessary assistance to those who are infected through the provision of equipment, drugs and personnel.

“I know how much of a priority health is for your government and to every mother, father, brother or sister in this room, but the focus of our effort here now is to ensure that a year from now every single person who has that crushing disease called HIV/AIDS, who happens to be lucky enough to live in Akwa Ibom, can find out they have it and go on treated”, he assured.

Mr. Symington applauded Governor Emmanuel for the high premium placed on healthcare delivery system and his efforts at transforming the secondary Health centers to meet international standards and sued for collaboration to stem the tide of the HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, assuring of his government’s readiness to partner the state in education, healthcare, agriculture and commerce.

On the US Ambassador’s entourage were: Deputy Chief of Mission Kathleen Gibbon, USAID Mission Director Stephen Haykin, Country Director, Centre for Disease Control Dr. Mahesh Swaminathan, PEPFAR Country Coordinator Mark Giambrone, Team Leader, USAID HIV/AIDS Office Dr. Moses Katby, Program Manager and Surge Lead Dr. Chris Obanubi and other USAID partners.

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