By Chris Chikelue
Prof. Chukwuma Soludo at taking over governance in Anambra State prioritized the human development, gave succour to the Maternal and Child bearing aspect of the Ministry of Health. This cascades to other factors of living of Ndi Anambra.
His government announced that antenatal and childbearing in all the government owned Primary and Secondary Healthcare Facilities in the state is free and since the announcement, he has never relented in keeping up with the promise.
The women testified to this at the Anaocha LGA Headquarters, Neni venue of the last day of a 5-day programme of the Federal and State Ministry of Health, Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiatives (MAMII).
She told the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike that when she had her child at a General Hospital, that no payments was collected from her from the antenatal stage to her child delivery, thanking Governor Soludo and all present with a clapping ovation.
The women sang praises to the governor. “Soludo n’ idi anyi mma mgbomgo, onye chi mer’eze na mmadu apughi inara ya, mgbomgbo”, which means, ‘Soludo, you are good to us, he who God has made king, nobody can take it away from him.’
While also talking at the meeting, Commissioner Obidike and some other stakeholders stressed on the government of Prof. Soludo’s award of free education which is running from primary school -Basic 1- up to the Senior Secondary Class 3 (final stage of schooling before the tertiary education), the commissioner affirmed that the Soludo’s government has created blood banks at the three Senatorial districts of the state to enhance the safety of lives especially at emergency cases.
He said, “the government has established blood banks at Ekwulobia General Hospital, Umueri General Hospital and Enugwu-ukwu General Hospital”.
He promised the Federal Minister of Health, Prof. Ali Pate that where records have shown that there are still some works to be done for the reduction of Maternal and Neonatal deaths that the state will leave no stone unturned in plugging all the loopholes therein for an improved results.
The MAMII project was a 5-day intervention aimed at harnessing the cause of Maternal and Child deaths during and after pregnancy in the country.
Chris is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
