Hon. Deacon Chike Okafor gets set for the 2017 Edition of Free Medical Outreach program across Imo State
… Begins Revitalization and Equipping of Primary Health Care Centers in several communities across the State
The member representing Okigwe South Federal constituency in the Federal House of Representatives and Chairman House Committee on Healthcare Services, Hon. Deacon Chike Okafor has in preparation for the 2017 version of his Landmark Free Medical Outreach Programme began the Revitalization and Equipping Primary Health Care centers various electoral wards across all the Local Government Areas in Okigwe Zone. This is in addition to the ones he facilitated in Ikeduru LGA, Mbaitoli LGA, Aboh Mbaise LGA, Ngor Okpalla LGA, Nkwerre LGA as well as Ideato North and South LGAs, using his good office as the House committee Chairman on Healthcare services.
Addressing newsmen recently, after the visit of the National Primary Healthcare Board, the Obowo born astute Banker turned legislator said that the aim of aggressively pursuing the rehabilitation of the Health Care centres is to provide a permanent Health care centre for rural dwellers, since his Free Medical outreach is but a stop-gap measure occasioned by the dearth of such facilities.
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) had come to visit the locations listed above and to conduct the statutory mapping of the centres prior to the actual commencement of work in the centres.
Hon. Okafor regretted that the delay in the commencement of work, occasioned by the slow process of release of funds for capital expenditure from the 2017 budget had affected flag- off of his 2017 Free Medical Outreach, which now has to wait till the Revitalization of the Healthcare centres.
It would be recalled that in 2016, the Free Medical Outreach, which from October 2016 to January 2017, shook Imo State and beyond, as it was a first of it’s kind, having catered for over 16,000 persons, including over 560 major surgeries, several childbirths, eye health and lots more.
Last years Outreach was more than 60 percent funded by Hon. Okafor, while the 40 percent was from the support he got from some donor agencies including NAFDAC and other international agencies. But the young legislator is confident that the 2017 edition will be on a larger scale owing to the fact that he was able to factor the Revitalization of these Health Centres in the budget and it will help conserve funds that would have been expended on hiring Medical personnel to carry out the outreach programmes.
Below are some of the Primary Health Centers for Rehabilitation and Equipping by Hon. Deacon Chike Okafor;
OBOWO LGA (Revitalization and Equipping of Primary Health Care Centers in Obowo LGA, Imo State)
1) Umuokeh Community Health Centre
2) Umuosochie Community Health Centre
3) Umuifem Avutu Health Centre
4) Amuzi Health Center
5) Okwuohia Health Center
6) Alike Health Center
7) Umulogho Health Center
8.) Ehume Health Center
EHIME MBANO (Revitalization and Equipping of Primary Health Care Centers in Ehime-Mbano LGA, Imo State)
1) Umuakagu Nsu Primary Healthcare centre
2) Umunumo Primary Healthcare centre
3) Umueze 11 Primary Healthcare centre
4) Umuezeala Owerre Primary Healthcare centre
5) Umuoma Nzerem Primary Heathcare centre
6) Ukwu Ugiri Umunakanu Primary Healthcare centre
7) Agbaja Primary Heathcare centre, Okikpa.
ISIALA MBANO (Revitalization and Equipping of Primary Health Care Centers in Isiala Mbano LGA, Imo State)
1) Amaraku Health Center
2) Osuama/Anara Health Center
3) Umuneke Health Center
4) Okohia Health Center
5) Umunkwo Health Center
6) Amuzari Health Center
7) Osuowerre 11 Health Center
8.) Umuozo Health Center
9) Ibeme Health Center
IHITTE UBOMA LGA (Revitalization and Equipping of Primary Health Care Centers in Ihitte-Uboma LGA, Imo State)
1) Umuezegwu HEALTH CENTER
2) Umunahihe Umuawueke HEALTH CENTER, Amainyi
3) Umuawuchi HEALTH CENTER, Eke Umuawuchi
4) Ezimba HEALTH CENTER, Dimneze
5) Eluama HEALTH CENTER, Abueke
ONUIMO LGA (Revitalization and Equipping of Primary Health Care Centers in Onuimo LGA, Imo State)
1) Umoko Dike Health Center
2) Okwelle Health Center
3) Umucheke Health Center
4) Umuna Health Center
5) Umuduru Health Center
6) Ndikpa Aboh Health Center.
Okigwe LGA (Revitalization and Equipping of Primary Health Care Centers in Okigwe LGA, Imo State)
1) Umuawaibu Community PHC
2) Ihube Health Center
3) Amosu Town Health Center
4) Okigwe Town Health Center
5) Aku Town Health Center
Apart from these, Hon. Deacon Chike Okafor is currently undertaking the construction of Police Stations at various locations in Ehime-Mbano, Obowo, and Ihitte-Uboma Local Government Areas and work is at advanced stage in most of those, save for that of Ehime-Mbano which is yet to take off, owing to the failure of the Leaders of the LGA to resolve the land allocation dispute that enmeshed the project since the beginning of the year.