NDDC to reactivate free medical programme for Niger Delta region

 

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria – The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, says that the Commission will soon reactivate its Free Health Care Programme, which covers communities in the Niger Delta region, as part of its commitment to enhance better healthcare delivery to the people.

Speaking at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt when a beneficiary of the Commission’s healthcare intervention, Master Miracle Nwagbara and his parents paid him a “thank you” visit, the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Major General Charles Airhiavbere (Rtd.), said that the provision of quality medical services to the people of the Niger Delta region was part of its mandate.

He stated: “Our budgets have just been approved by the National Assembly. Once the paperwork on the NDDC budget is done and implementation begins, we will reactivate the free medical outreach programme because it is captured in our budget.”

The Executive Director Finance and Administration said that the medical professionals needed for the effective implementation of the free medical outreach programme were already being mobilised for the programme which would cover the nine NDDC mandate states.

He said that the NDDC Governing Board was focused on bringing succor to the people of the Niger Delta region, assuring that the Commission would spare no effort to ensure that the people had access to quality healthcare.

He said: “Our mission, which is to facilitate the sustainable development of the Niger Delta region, comes with a demand on the NDDC to improve the people’s health and well-being.”

In his own remarks, the NDDC Director, Health and Social Services, Dr. George Uzonwanne, noted that the Commission had always placed a high premium on healthcare delivery, adding that it had extended health facilities and services to many communities across the region.
Also speaking, the father of Miracle, Mr. Solomon Nwagbara praised the NDDC for its timely intervention to save the life of his son who had a hole in his heart and required extensive surgery that was too expensive for his family to carry.

In his comments, the Pastor of the Dominion Sanctuary Parish and Zonal headquarters of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Rivers Province 2, Pastor George Ero who led the Nwagbara family delegation to the NDDC headquarters, commended the Commission for being proactive in intervening in the lives of the people of the Niger Delta region and prayed for the success of the Commission.