Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has commissioned the newly completed Cottage Hospital in Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government Area, with a six-day Free Medical Care Programme also flagged off to provide immediate healthcare services to residents.
The hospital, initiated and completed by the Oshimili North Local Government Council under the leadership of Hon. Innocent Esewezie, is designed to strengthen access to quality and affordable healthcare for residents of Okpanam and surrounding communities.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Tuesday, Governor Oborevwori, who was represented by his Deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme, Ph.D., said the project was in line with the administration’s M.O.R.E. Agenda, particularly its commitment to meaningful development and sustainable healthcare interventions across the state.
The Governor stressed that access to quality and affordable healthcare should not be determined by a citizen’s location, noting that bringing modern medical facilities closer to communities would reduce the burden of travelling long distances for primary healthcare and ensure prompt medical attention for vulnerable groups, including women, children and the elderly.
He commended the Oshimili North Local Government Council for initiating and executing the project, describing local government administrations as a critical bridge between the state government and grassroots communities.
According to him, the completion and equipping of the cottage hospital demonstrated the council’s alignment with the state government’s healthcare priorities and commitment to improving the welfare of the people.
Governor Oborevwori said the commissioning of the hospital, alongside the flag-off of the Free Medical Care Programme, would ensure that the infrastructure immediately translated into accessible healthcare services for the people.
He urged community leaders, healthcare workers and residents to take ownership of the facility, protect its equipment and ensure that the hospital continued to serve as a centre for quality healthcare and improved well-being.
The Governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to extending strategic infrastructure and human capital development to communities across Delta State, assuring that the state government would continue to partner with proactive local government administrations to replicate similar achievements across the 25 local government areas.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission, Dr. Isaac Akpoveta, appealed to local government councils to intensify efforts to enrol more residents in the state’s contributory health insurance scheme, stressing that wider coverage would improve access to affordable healthcare.
The immediate past Governor of Delta State, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa, commended the Oshimili North Local Government Chairman for the initiative, describing the establishment of the cottage hospital as a significant intervention for the people of Okpanam and the wider Oshimili North area.
Okowa also commended local government chairmen across the state for their developmental initiatives and efforts to meet their obligations to workers, urging them to continue to introduce reforms and projects that would have direct and positive impact on their people.
Earlier, the Ugoani of Okpanam Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Michael Ogbolu, said residents, particularly pregnant women, children and elderly persons, had previously encountered serious difficulties in accessing prompt and quality healthcare due to the long distances they had to travel for basic medical attention.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of Oshimili North Local Government Area, Hon. Innocent Esewezie, said no community could achieve meaningful development when its people lacked access to basic healthcare.
Esewezie stressed that healthcare infrastructure alone was insufficient, noting that effective service delivery also required competent personnel, appropriate medical equipment, accessible healthcare financing and programmes designed to ensure that ordinary citizens benefited directly.
The Council Chairman announced the commencement of a comprehensive six-day Free Medical Care Programme, covering medical consultations, treatments and other interventions, including surgical procedures, dental and optical services.
He further disclosed that 200 residents would be immediately enrolled in the Delta State Contributory Health Commission programme.
According to him, 150 of the beneficiaries are operatives of the Oshimili North Security Watch, whom he said had been contributing significantly to the protection of lives and property in the area, while the remaining 50 beneficiaries would be autistic children and other children with special needs drawn from communities across the local government area.
Esewezie also disclosed that part of the hospital’s facilities had been dedicated to providing support and care for children with special needs, stressing that the council was committed to ensuring that healthcare remained compassionate, inclusive and accessible to every member of the community.
