Bayelsa Govt Okays N1.2B to Build 105 Health Centres

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Tuesday, July 31st, 2018

…Approves N3,000 Per Month For Pregnant Women; Get Free Drugs

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Governor of Bayelsa State, the Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson, on a Tuesday, handed over a cheque of N1.2 billion for the construction of health facilities in the 105 wards of the state.

Governor Dickson said that the decision was part of the efforts of the government to reduce rate of infant and maternal mortality and create increased access to healthcare services in the state.

The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, quoted the government has having made the presentation of the cheque at the first summit on Infant and Maternal Mortality in Yenagoa on Tuesday.

The Governor said that the health facilities are expected to be completed by December, 2018.

According to him, the state Government would take the requisite steps to prevent the death of any pregnant woman during child birth.

The governor said further that a coroner panel of gynecologists would be constituted to investigate the cause of any death of pregnant women during child birth in the state.

He said, “We don’t want any pregnant woman to die while delivering a child in our state. It is important for the society and government to stand by the women. From now on, enough is enough. No more death of a pregnant woman.

The Governor also announced what he described the Special Safe Motherhood Allowance of N3000 per month for every pregnant woman until delivery.

Governor Dickson who handed over a check of N1000 million to the Primary Healthcare Board of the take off of the allowance advised all pregnant women to enroll in public hospitals to be able to access the funds.

He stated further that the health team in the state was under obligation to provide information on the number of women enrolled in the scheme and how they were delivered of their babies.

The governor also announced a special insurance coverage for all pregnant women in the state.

With the insurance coverage, no pregnant Bayelsa woman would pay for pregnancy-related drugs in any of the public hospital until delivery. He said that the sum of N1.5Bn saved from the state health insurance Scheme.