The Rivers State Government says it has broken new grounds in its effort to deliver quality health care to Rivers People.
The State Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs) Ipalibo Harry Banigo, disclosed this during the first NACA HIV Award Night at landmark Hotel in Port Harcourt on Thursday, 4th November 2021.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Transport, Mrs. Fanny Barango, Dr. Banigo said as part of deliberate efforts to give succour to people living with HIV, Governor Wike abolished health facility user-fees for persons living with HIV and took over payments in all public health facilities.
Dr. Banigo said the Governor had established a Faculty of Medicine in the Rivers State University with a Teaching Hospital that has been upgraded with a state of the art equipment.
According to the Deputy Governor, the Mother and Child Hospital, Dr. Peter Odili Cancer / Cardiovascular Disease Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, the upgraded Government House Clinic, as well as the Zonal Hospitals in the three Senatorial Districts were set up to add value to the health system.
Dr. Banigo expressed delight that NACA South-South Zonal Office produced NACA HIV Media Reference Package for Practitioners, noted that it has been adopted as a national resource document, which has been placed on the website of NACA for wider dissemination to the public.
She said as the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) Ambassador to NACA Rivers, she would continue to collaborate with NACA in perfecting the good work they are carrying out in the South-South Zone and Nigeria as a nation.
In his remarks, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim who spoke through the Director, Public Enlightenment, Sir Celestine Ogolo said the Parastatals of the Ministry was open for more partnership with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS to ensure that the campaign against the HIV scourge gets to the grassroots.
He commended NACA for this imitative of appreciating those who had worked with NACA, describing it as very laudable and innovative.
Earlier the Zonal Coordinator, NACA South- South Zonal Office, Dr. Uduak Daniel had said the NACA South- South Zonal Office Awards are annual awards given to partners and stakeholders in the South- South HIV response.
According to her the awards that are in Seven different categories was the first of its kind.
