Former Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget and Chief of Staff in the Peter Obi Administration, Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna, has said that contrary to the predominant view among the people, Obi actually did as much in Health as in Education during his tenure as Governor of Anambra State.
Speaking to newsman on her return from Nnewi, where she led the delegation that presented COVID-19 intervention support to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, comprising 2,500 face masks, 10,000 hand gloves, 250 bottles of hand sanitizer (500mls), 24,000 tablets of paracetamol and a cheque of N2.5 million, Prof Okunna said that on coming to office, Obi keyed into the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which he adopted as the Vision of the state and made education, health and poverty reduction the centre of that vision.
Okunna, who was the Chairman of State Good Governance Committee and Chairman of the State MDGs Implementation Committee, recalled that the Good Governance Committee had recommended intense attention to these three sectors, but without neglecting other sectors in line with the state’s development strategy ANIDS, which ensured simultaneous development of all sector.
Okunna also recalled that before Obi came into office, no health institution was accredited in Anambra State, but before he left, he got 14 institutions and two hospitals, including Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu Teaching Hospital, which he built from scratch, to be accredited. Also accredited according to Okunna were many Midwidfery, Nursing and health institutions in the state.
Speaking further, Okunna said it was because of what Obi did in the health sector that he won many awards that had monetary values, the last of which was the $1 million Bill and Melinda Gates award with which, in addition to his own matching funds, he built 10 Health care centres in 10 remotest parts of the state.
On the four Ventilators procured by Obi just discovered recently packed in a store, Okunna confirmed the procurement and went on to say that four additional brand new ventilators were also purchased with MDGs funds and are currently in use in the Intensive Care Unit of the Teaching Hospital.
She also confirmed that a number of other sophisticated medical gadgets were procured along with the ventilator.
Asked to name them, Okunna said she was not a medical doctor and would not recall everything, but included Mammograph machine, Digital Xray, CT Scan, Ultrasound machine.
Earlier in Nnewi, after receiving the COVID-19 palliative items, the Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Prof. Anthony Igwebe, had expressed the immense gratitude of the Teaching Hospital to Obi.
