Members Of Rivers State Hospital Management Board Urged To Fight The Menace Of Absenteeism From Duty By Doctors

Hon George Feyii, Secretary to the State Government (7th from left) in a group photograph with the members of RSHMB immediately after inauguration at his office in Port Harcourt

By Chioma Andy

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi on Wednesday, 20th February, 2013, inaugurated eleven persons as Chairman and members of Rivers State Hospitals Management Board (RSHMB) with a charge to draw from their wealth of experiences and competences to promote the secondary health policies of his administration.

The Governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. George Feyii, said that the board must ensure it exists within its objective in the provision of secondary health care to the people of the state.

“The focus on health is one of the key vision that this administration is pursuing to tackle the health needs of residents, even though the state government have built Primary Health care centres across the state, this year, government will make progress with the view of addressing secondary health care, as reference centres, “Amaechi said.

Members of the Board included: Omboye Pax Harry as chairman, Godwin Impi, Aaron Ojule, O. N. Iragunima, Ibitrokoemi Korubo, and Micheal Osika as members. Others are Elizabeth Odili, Monsi Igilar, Ada Ben-whyte, Friday Nke-ee and Geraldine Oduyemi. Click on read more below to continue reading

While expressing his administration’s commitment to tackle the problem of sustainability of the Free medical care, Amaechi tasked the board to handle issues of discipline of Medical Doctors with seriousness to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in the system of service delivery to the people.

“A number of Primary Health Centres have had complains of Doctors been absent from duty. Some come and stay for just a short while and leaves. These issues should engage your mind first”, Amaechi stressed.

Governor Amaechi further charged them to monitor, make evaluation and advise government on the strategies and measures that would enable the health policy of government in respect of free health care, get to the people at the grassroots.

“We expect that, you use the full experiences of your team, and advise government in this area, because there are things that we need to do in order to make sure that the policy of government in respect to free health care gets to the people, to know how they tap the benefits. We believe that your efforts will compliment the efforts of Government directly as you come on board. Deploy fully all that you have, including skills, experiences and knowledge, to ensure a better health system in Rivers State”, he urged.

Responding to the charge, chairman of the Board, Dr. Omboye Pax Harry said that despite the non-existence of the board for years, the present cream of professionals would do their best to put their shoulders to achieve the vision of the Amaechi-led administration.

“We know this administration has a tenure, but we will continue to drive the policies and vision of Governor Amaechi forward by providing basic health facilities to the common man, and the board will do everything possible to overcome the enormous tasks”, Pax Harry Said.

He promised that the Board was going to take tackle absenteeism from duty by medical doctors, assuring that, all modalities will be put in place to stop the menace.

Speaking with journalists shortly after the inauguration, the Chairman, House Standing Committee on Health, Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Irene Inimgba, said that the new board will fill the vacuum that has affected the health sector in the state.

She expressed satisfaction and confidence on the new board, saying that the cream of professionals of varying degrees, constituting the board, is an indication that their wealth of experiences will deliver dividends of democracy to the people.

“The Board knows how and where to tackle, and how to handle issues, their competencies are not in doubt”, Inimgba said.