Delta State House of Assembly Committee on Health has urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the state government to help drive government policies and programmes for the betterment of the people.
Chairman of Committee, Chief Ferguson Onwo made the call when the State Ministry of Health and parastatals under it appeared before the committee to defend their 2024 budget proposal.
The Lawmaker, who represents Isoko South two Constituency, advised heads of MDAs to take government policies and programmes seriously in order to ensure quality service delivery in the state.
Onwo particularly urged the managers of the state health sector not to compromise global best practices on healthcare issues, especially in the areas of infrastructure, equipment and attitude.
He advised the MDAs to ensure that the MORE agenda of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori was realized through their budget implementation in the 2024 fiscal year.
The Lawmaker stressed the need for the medical personnel who deal with patients, to do it with caution, adding that ”anxiety moves in when somebody is sick, but when they are relax, they are better treated.”
Onwo who commended the ministry of health and it’s parastatals for increased revenue for the outgoing year, said, ”though the ministry of health is a very big ministry with diverse challenges, yet it was able to achieve 52 per cent budget performance”.
”It is very commendable and encouraging. I Know by next year, they will do more, ” he said.
Hon Onwo assured the ministry officials of the committee’s readiness to partner with them by ensuring better service delivery.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Philomena Okeowo, noted that as part of the assigned responsibilities of the ministry towards realization of the MORE agenda of the State Governor, the ministry provided supervisory functions and support services for departments and agencies under it.
She said the ministry would continue to ensure quality health care service delivery through its 515 Service Delivery point, including two tertiary institutions, 66 secondary health facilities and 449 primary health care centers across the state.
The Permanent Secretary explained that the ministry also provides training for its health workforce and is response to public health issue.
Dr Okeowo disclosed that the ministry was able to generate Nine hundred and seventy three million naira between January and November as against One billion naira approved revenue estimate for the ministry in 2023.
According to her, the sector has generated 159 per cent of the estimated year 2023 revenue within the period January to November.
The Permanent Secretary therefore noted that the ministry was proposing the sum of N1.691 billion for the year 2024 as revenue estimate, disclosing that the sum of N1.8 billion is proposed as Capital budget for the year 2024.
She said the amount was inadequate, adding that the ministry has an outstanding commitment of N11.7 billion with consideration of new projects.
”Against this backdrop that I wish to humbly appeal to the chairman and members of the committee to kindly consider the request for more funds to accommodate and adopt holistically the proposed 2024 budgetary estimates, ” Okeowo added.
Departments and agencies that also appeared before the committee were the Delta State Health Insurance Scheme, State Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Delta State Drug Revolving Fund, Hospital Management Board, HMB, Traditional Medicine Board, TMB, Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, Asaba Specialist Hospital, Mother and Child and Diagnostic Center, Owa-Alero among others.