Wike flags off N500m private hospitals loan scheme

To ensure that more residents of the State had access to quality healthcare delivery, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike recently, flagged off a Private Hospitals Loan Scheme (PHLS).

The first batch of the scheme shall witness 37 hospitals in the state having access to N500 million, to upgrade their facilities and improve their services to the people. Seven of the beneficiaries are non-indigenes, while 30 are from Rivers State.

Flagging off the PHLS at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Governor Wike urged the private medical practitioners to apply the loans judiciously.  He said, the state government would pay the interest on the loans on behalf of the beneficiaries, while the beneficiaries will pay the principal sum.

“This loan is for the private hospitals to improve their facilities. It is not meant for the owners of the hospitals to solve personal problems.  Private hospitals are critical to healthcare delivery in the state; hence our decision to create this loan scheme  to support  their improvement,” Governor Wike said.

He noted that beneficiaries of the N500 million loan will form the first batch; pointing out that their successful application of the funds would lead to another batch.

In his remarks, the Rivers State Health Commissioner, Theophilus Odagme lauded the governor for his investment in the health sector.   He said at present, 17 General Hospitals were being rehabilitated by the Wike administration, while majority of the resolutions of the meeting the governor held with the Nigerian Medical Association were being considered for implemented.

The Health Commissioner appealed to the private medical practitioners to pay back the loans, so that others can benefit.

Representative of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Ibitoru Korubo said that the Governor’s intervention would help in reviving the health sector in the state.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Sunny Obele of Sonabel Medical Centre, Eleme, commended the initiative; saying the Private Hospitals Loan Scheme (PHLS) should be emulated by other states, as well as by the Federal Government.   He said that the intervention was relevant because 80 percent of Nigerians gain access to healthcare through private health facilities.

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