Abia Moves to Factor Special Needs into Healthcare System

Emmanuel Ugwu, Umuahia

A change rooted in the grassroots has commenced in the healthcare system of Abia State focusing on the provision of special medical care and support for people with special needs.

To this end, the existing healthcare personnel at the primary healthcare centres are receiving skills that would transform them to social care providers in order to implement the project in all the 17 local government areas of the state.

Stating this at a workshop for social care managers held at Umuahia recently, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health Matters, Felix Chinwendu said Governor Okezie Okpeazu was desirous of introducing positive changes in the health sector.

He explained the choice of using the primary healthcare personnel to drive the change, saying, “If you get it right at the primary health care level, it will reduce pressure on the secondary and tertiary levels of healthcare services”.

According to him, the Abia chief executive decided to implement novel ways of delivering healthcare services as his intention is to leave a legacy that would outlive his administration.

Chinwendu noted that the ultimate goal of Ikpeazu’s health policy was to make Abians attain life expectancy above the national average by engendering holistic healthcare service delivery that is accessible, affordable, and of international standard.

Wife of Abia Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu said that the paradigm shift in the state healthcare services to give the less privileged a befitting sense of belonging was a good development.

Mrs Ikpeazu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ugoeze Ifeyinwa Uwasomba, noted that by raising an army of social care managers, Abia would be better for it.

The CEO, Kiara Care, Mr. Ndubuisi Ezengwa, said his organisation was partnering the Ikpeazu administration to strengthen the healthcare sector of Abia to take adequate care of every segment of the society, including the vulnerable ones.

He said that Kiara Active Support and Care would leave no stone unturned to ensure that the healthcare system of Abia was transformed to meet international standard.

“We’re going to make sure there is visible change in healthcare in Abia State,” he assured, adding that the training of health managers would be carried out in four stages.

Ezengwa, who is an expert in health management and social care, explained that the objective of the innovation in Abia health system, “Is to improve and deliver support and care to the less privileged members in the rural communities of Abia.

“Our strategy is to use technology to provide effective early medical intervention, deliver expert healthcare and minimize the inconvenience caused to patients and health workers from poor logistics,” he said.

Already Kiara Active Support and Care has developed a system christened Abia Care Management System(ABCMS), which is a mobile data collection tool to be deployed for effective implementation of the programme.

Ezengwa, who developed the App, stated that it was designed to collect information on the less privileged across Abia’s 17 local governments.