Healthcare Access For Rural Communities In Imo State

The ongoing construction, renovation and upgrading of health centres in the 305 wards in Imo State is a pointer that

Governor Hope Uzodimma remains committed to the promotion of strategies and programmes that address  diseases affecting people in rural communities across the State.

With healthcare at the doorsteps of Imo rural dwellers, Governor Uzodimma is clearly targeting at the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of illnesses, disease prevention, increased quality of life, the avoidance of preventable deaths, and for increase in life expectancy of Imo people especially the under privileged and vulnerable groups.

Thousands of healthcare jobs will soon open up for Imo workers in the health sector.

As the Governor sustains the graduation of medical students through the Imo State University Teaching Hospital Orlu and the  upscaling of training facilities at nursing and midwifery schools at Okporo, Mgbidi, etc, a ready pool of manpower will be made available for the health centres by way of job creation. All barriers to care, including workforce shortages will not be an issue once the health centres become maximally operational.

Already, Governor Uzodimma has initiated a policy to construct five kilometres of roads in all the 27 local government areas. Thus the means to reach and use health facilities, such as access to good transportation network will not pose challenges to rural dwellers.

Under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) initiative, access to primary healthcare is defined as a basic human right.

With the development of 305 healthcare centres across Imo State, creation of rural roads for easy access to health centres, training of different cadres of healthcare professionals, Governor Hope Uzodimma is indeed a human rights advocate for vulnerable groups.