Enugu to partner with medical women association for healthcare delivery
June 10, 2008
The Enugu State government is to forge a partnership with the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria for improved healthcare delivery.

Governor Sullivan Chime, who described the activities and programmes of association as very complementary to his government’s healthcare services in the state, was speaking when he received in audience the executives of the state branch of the association, at the Government House, Enugu.

Governor Chime commended them for their very laudable health-care programmes, especially health education, screening and prevention of cancers of the breast and cervix.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi described healthcare as one of the priority areas which government has special interest since “a healthy society is a wealthy society.”

The governor assured the medical association that his administration would give them all the needed support and protection to ensure effective discharge of their duties.

Apparently reacting to the alleged threat to revoke their right of occupancy on the centre allocated to them in 1992, the governor promised to look into the matter with a view to resolving whatever the problem.

According to him, “the state government has no intention to revoke your centre but rather to relocate it to a place which will enhance your laudable programmes to the people.  Government will not like to do anything that will demoralize or dis-encourage you from what you are doing.”

Earlier in their speech, the president of the association, Dr. Ngozi Ifebunandu told the governor that the Enugu chapter was established to provide free health education and services to women in the society.

According to Dr. Ifebunandu, members of the association carry out screening and prevention of cancer diseases among women, daily screening for hypertension, diabetes, mellitus and obesity, as well as offer training programme for women on female killer diseases.

She used the occasion to congratulate Governor Chime on his first one year in office which she described as eventful and appeal to him to rescind government’s threat to revoke their right of occupation of their centre located at No 12 Abakaliki Road, Enugu.

In another development, Governor Chime has inaugurated members of Conditional Grant Scheme Project Oversight Committee, with the state commissioner for budget, Dr. Willy Ugwuanyi as chairman.

Inaugurating the committee at Government House, Enugu, the governor who was represented by the deputy, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi,, noted that the body is one of the structures necessary for assessing the millennium development goals (MDGs) conditional grant scheme for 2008.

According to the governor, other responsibilities of the committee as stipulated in the guideline, included ensuring prudent management expenditure and prompt release of funds for project implementation, ensuring compliance with due process and liaising with other related bodies with the millennium development goals on matters on conditional grant scheme.

Speaking on behalf of the committee, the Chairman, Mr. Ugwuanyi, thanked the State government for giving the members of his committee an opportunity to serve.

He assured the state government of his committee’s readiness to achieve the aims for which it was formed.