PDP Faults Amaechi Over Referral Status Of BMH, PH

By Rivers PDP

The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, says the claim by Gov. Chibuike Amaechi that the State owned Braithwait Memorial Hospital (BMH) is a referral hospital is false and merely to score a cheap political point.

The PDP while reacting to Gov Amaechi's outburst during a visit to the hospital in a statement signed by Jerry Needam, Special Adviser, Media to the State party chairman, Prince Felix Obuah said the BMH, lacks the basic facilities and infrastructure to function as a referral hospital which is the reason why it has continued to operate like any other hospital with mainly patients suffering from common ailments and expectant mothers as its main clients.

The party stresses that it's not enough to announce that BMH has been upgraded to a referral hospital when such claim cannot be matched with action.

Worse still, the PDP notes, the so called health centres Gov Amaechi accused the BMH of usurping their functions are only there in name where they exist at all.

According to the party, only one doctor is attached to each of the health centres which operate only on week days, and in most cases two days in a week, some having no electric light and water to function effectively, always asking the few patients that patronize them to buy their own drugs because they have none to give.

These are the main reasons, the PDP said that account for the crowd at BMH, Port Harcourt as going to the health centres is a great risk especially in serious cases.

Rather than blaming the management and staff of BMH, the PDP insists, Gov Amaechi should acknowledge the fact that he has failed in the health sector, by diverting all the billions of naira earmarked for the healthcare and welfare of the people to personal and All Progressives Congress (APC) interests.

Telling the people the basic truth and making a u-turn to do the right thing besides providing the facilities and infrastructural needs of the BMH as a referral hospital and equipping the health centres properly including qualified medical personnel is the only way to redeem the deplorable state of the health sector in the State.

'Doing otherwise or shouting without acting adds nothing but the usual deceit for which this administration has come to be known over time,' the PDP declared.

Signed:


Jerry Needam
Special Adviser on Media to
State PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah
Monday, May 26, 2014