The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, in order to ensure that more residents of his State have access to quality healthcare, has on Wednesday flagged off the Private Hospitals Loan Scheme.
According to information emanating from the Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, the first batch of the scheme will witness 37 hospitals in the State access N500 million to upgrade their facilities and improve service delivery to the people of the State, adding that while seven of the beneficiaries are non-indigenes, 30 are from Rivers State.
Flagging off the Private Hospitals Loan Scheme at the Government House in Port Harcourt, Governor Wike urged the private medical practitioners to apply the loans judiciously, assuring the beneficiaries that while the State government will pay the interest on the loans on behalf of them, they are expected to pay the principal sum.
“This loan is for the private hospitals to improve their facilities. It is not meant for the owners of the hospitals to solve personal problems.
“Private hospitals are critical to healthcare delivery in the state, hence our decision to create this loan scheme to support their improvement,” Wike said.
He noted that the beneficiaries of the N500 million loan will form the first batch, pointing out that their successful application of the funds will lead to another batch.
In his remarks, Rivers State Health Commissioner, Dr Theophilus Odagme lauded the Governor for his investment in the health sector.
The commissioner said 17 General Hospitals are presently being rehabilitated by the Wike Administration, while majority of the resolutions of the meeting the Governor held with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) are being implemented.
The Health Commissioner appealed to the private medical practitioners to pay back the loans, so that others can benefit.
Representative of the NMA, Dr Ibitoru Korubo, said that the Governor’s intervention will help in reviving the health sector in the state.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Dr Sunny Obele of Sonabel Medical Centre Eleme said that the Private Hospitals Loan Scheme should be emulated by other states and the Federal Government.
He said that the intervention is relevant because 80 per cent of Nigerians access healthcare through private health facilities.