By Ifeoma Ejiofor
A Peoples Democratic Party PDP leading governorship aspirant, Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe, the leading in the upcoming Anambra State November 6 guber polls says her government will adopt a bottom-up approach to tackling the healthcare challenges of the state, if elected.
Onyemelukwe made her plan for the health centers known on Monday.
The PDP governorship hopeful noted that despite modest efforts of successive administrations, Anambra remains challenged in the healthcare service delivery sector.
“We have outlined a bottom-up approach in our manifesto. Our plan is to provide the 629 primary healthcare centres, health clinics and health posts in Anambra State with water and basic sanitation, adequate staffing, decent remuneration, beddings, nets and healthcare consumables.
“We also intend to gradually, dependent on available resources and competing priorities, pursue a phased closure of the infrastructure gaps that exist at these PHCs.
Onyemelukwe said the pressure on secondary and tertiary healthcare institutions will be reduced if PHCs are fixed and supported to regain the confidence of the citizens to approach them for their basic healthcare needs.
The former Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo also said the state’s infant and maternal mortality rates, and life expectancy will be improved if her bottom-up public health policy is vigorously implemented.
Furthermore, Onyemelukwe said her government will support the state’s health insurance scheme to broaden its subscriber base.
“Our plan is to help it deliberately target and enroll those in the organised private sector. We plan to employ instruments like tax rebates and other incentives to bring this specific corporate user group in. Once they are in, then the system can reach out to capture the undeserved in the informal sector.
The former Board Chairman, Federal Housing Authority also expressed the readiness of her administration to continue and institutionalise periodic subventions from the state government to qualifying faith-based and other private healthcare service providers.
“Healthcare service delivery is a critical component of our #RESTOREAnambra plan. You have my assurances, we will vigorously pursue people-oriented healthcare programmes if given the opportunity,” Onyemelukwe concluded.