By Els William
The Abia State government has finalized plans to renovate and modernize 200 existing primary health centers across the state by the end of the year. This was announced by the Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, during a press briefing on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting held on Monday, which was presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
The renovation project, set to begin in September, will be jointly executed by the Ministry of Health and the Abia State Primary Healthcare Development Agency. The project timeline is 100 days, ensuring timely completion and swift improvement of healthcare services in the state.
“It is a bold step being undertaken by the ministry and work will commence across the state in those 200 primary health centres in the first week of September and the delivery of those projects will be somewhere around December.
“All the 184 wards of the state will benefit from this project. I believe that will be some form of Christmas gift to Abians,” Kanu stated.
Dr. Ngozi Azodo, Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, addressed concerns about epidemics in the state, confirming only two cases of cholera, contrary to speculation. To prepare for potential outbreaks, various isolation centers are being reinforced.
In Isiala Ngwa, 13 suspected Monkeypox cases were identified, with nine testing negative and one positive.