Anambra Showdown 2025: Politicians think of election, while statesmen, like Soludo, think of the next generation - Obidike

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By Madu Obi

The Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike has said that the state governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo is more concerned about the welfare of the people, noting that even with the November 8 election only few days away, contractors are busy working on projects being executed by the governor.

Obidike, who spoke while conducting select journalists round some of the health facilities built by the Soludo administration, stressed that while politicians think of the next election, statesmen like Professor Soludo, think of the welfare of the next generation.

Among the health facilities visited by the Journalists include the newly commissioned Anaku General Hospital in Ayamelum local government area, the Specialist Hospital, Fegge in Onitsha South, the high profile Trauma Center located within the premises of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital,Amaku, Awka, the Rehabilitation Center at Nibo, Awka South local government area and the Oxygen Plant at the Enugwu Ukwu General Hospital in Njikoka local government area.

He explained that Governor Soludo deliberately built five brand new general hospitals in Anambra North senatorial zone where none existed, adding that he capped it up with the introduction of free antenatal care and delivery in all government- owned hospitals in the state.

Already, all the new hospitals have been fully equipped and hundreds of workers recruited to man the facilities.

According to Obidike, no fewer than 175 women have benefitted from the free delivery service since its introduction, adding that even after birth, the government continues to cater for every child by providing free healthcare services and free education up to SS3 level.

"The situation in Anambra is that once a baby is conceived, government starts taking responsibility until the child gets to SS3. This is a novel policy and I don't think anybody will do something better than this", he stated.

Listing some of the state government's achievements in the health sector, the Commissioner said Governor Soludo has established the Anambra State Emergency Medical Service, which is serviced by full compliments of professional health workers.

He said that more than 40 ambulances are attached to the health facilities to avoid a situation whereby patients would be made to suffer during emergencies.

He stated that some private sector people are partnering with government on the emergency health project because "we don't want anyone to suffer due to neglect in health care delivery.

He said that the new Specialist Hospital at Fegge has everything, while all categories of doctors have been recruited to work there.

"All the necessary equipment have been procured and are being installed for official take off any time from now. It has trauma, neurology, gynaecology, dialysis centers, and the laboratory is comprehensive such that whatever test that is required is conducted in house.

"Every room/ ward is piped with oxygen and there is an alarm when there is any need for emergency. The trauma center is built to provide comfort for patients and those who look after them.

The trauma center located inside the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital was conceived to provide high quality service and it is a full hospital inside a hospital.

"Oxygen plants were built at Enugwu Ukwu and at the Federal Medical Center Onitsha before before it was taken over by the federal government. The oxygen plants supply to all health facilities in the state at a very low cost as the idea is not to maximize profit.

We are fighting the existence of illegal hospitals and we have had cause to close down two baby factories. In Enugwu Ukwu General Hospital, for instance, five of them from the baby factories were born and people had already paid for the babies. If it's a girl, they pay N1.8m and if it's a boy they pay over N2 million".

"The oxygen plant at Enugwu Ukwu supplies oxygen to all the hospitals in the state and the hospital has been upgraded with specialists manning all areas

The Rehabilitation Center at Nibo is one project that is very important to the people of the state. There are recreational facilities and the environment is suitable for medical treatment and mental recovery.

There is skills acquisition center where the inmates could learn trades. There is also the Nise eye care center which the community built and abandoned and the state government rehabilitated and equipped it.

"We have also rehabilitated the Umueri General Hospital, as well as those in Enugwu Ukwu and Ekwulobia.We also rehabilitated Nnobi General Hospital which was abandoned and the people are enjoying the facility. Same for General Hospital Awkuzu in Oyi local government area."

He said that the Soludo administration has rehabilitated 130 Primary Healthcare Centers, noting that even ultimate goal is to have functional PHC in all the 326 political wards and one General Hospital in all the 21 LGAs.

One significant feature of the Anambra State health facilities is that they are all provided with solar lights to ensure uninterrupted power supply.

He added: "Our teaching hospital is now a truly tertiary health institution. Every drug to be used in our health facilities are tested in the state of the art laboratory, so that the era of people consuming low quality and adulterated drugs would be over.

"We started telemedicine which has taken health care delivery in the state to the next level. We have intensified training in this area to ensure that health workers understand the operation properly."

"We have recruited 1500 health workers and we have doubled salaries of our health workers. We are targeting to be the state with the highest number of healthcare workers with the possibility of even exporting them. This is why there is need for continuity to enable the people enjoy what this government has planned for the people".