Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi state Wednesday said he has budgeted N15.7 billion to rehabilitate the 13 general hospitals in the state.
This was as the governor lamented the condition of the healthcare system in the state.
Nwifuru, who disclosed this during the 2024 budget of ‘Citizens Participation/Inputs in Abakaliki, noted his intention to bring back most doctors that had left the state because of lack of care.
The governor further stated that he would construct a befitting Doctors and Matrons’ Quarters in the 13 general hospitals in the state, and increase their salaries to tally with that of the federal government.
“In the area of health, we are thinking and many of us have witnessed it, it is wrong for people to believe that you can only be healed outside Nigeria. I have the opportunity of visiting many hospitals outside the country and I had the opportunity of discussing with many medical doctors some of whom will still come back to work here in Ebonyi.
“So many of them told me a story, they said number one there is no incentive, number two no incentive, number three to seven no incentive and he said again number eight, there is no equipment to work with, number nine, there is no availability of ordinary consumables needed in hospital,” he said.
According to him, “we have awarded the contract for German machines to be purchased for our hospitals, which the first phase costs a total of N8.81 billion.
“My intention is that we may not have enough money to buy a CT scan machine, an MIR machine for the 13 general hospitals but we want to buy at least 4 of them to keep in selected hospitals in the senatorial zone of the state.”