She made this known during her tour of all General Hospitals in the state with her team to assess the conditions and suitability to provide secondary health care services to the people.
Governor Otti had in his inaugural speech at the Umuahia Township Stadium, promised to turn around the health sector of the state to provide quality health care services to the people.
Okoronkwo stated that the newly inaugurated Otti administration “is passionate about upgrading various health facilities across the state to make them more responsive to the health needs of the people of Abia State”.
Following the findings of her assessment team so far, the special adviser on health care service delivery decried the deplorable state of the hospitals left uncared for by the last administration.
Dr Okoronkwo (left) and team bewildered at the poor condition of hospitals.
Out of the 12 General Hospitals in Abia the team has already visited Umunnato General Hospital, Bende LGA; General Hospital Abriba, Ohafia LGA and Isuikwuato General Hospital.
Dr Okoronkwo said she could not imagine a situation where only a medical doctor and three nurses were posted to attend to patients in a general hospital.
Nonetheless, she encouraged staffs of the hospitals visited to be alive to their duties as the era of dereliction of duty is over.
The medical doctors in charge of the health facilties in their speeches while conducting the team round their respective areas of health care jurisdiction, voiced out their challenges.
They generally complained of poor security, lack of electricity supply, dilapidated structures, obselete equipment, among others as the factors preventing patients from patronizing the public hospitals.
But the doctors, including Dr Chidi Uwanna in charge of Umunnato General Hospital, Dr Genevieve Maduako of Abariba General Hospital, and their Isuikwuato counterpart, Dr Okocha Sunday, all received the team. They expressed hope that with the visit of the team things would turn out for good in the General Hospitals.
Among those in the special adviser’s team for the assessment visit were the Acting Chief Executive Officer, Hospital Management Board, Dr Charity Egwuekwe and the Director Medical Services, Ministry of Health, Mrs. Rosemary Ajah.