South East breaking News
By Steve Unegbu
Senator T. A Orji Applauds Leadership of NMA Abia For Giant Strides. Assures of Collaboration in Health Care delivery.
The Senator representing Abia state central senatorial district at the National Assembly ,Chief Senator Theodore Ahamefula Orji has applauded the leadership of NMA Abia ,Dr Chimezie Godswill Okwuonu and his executive members for their giant strides while assuring them of his collaboration in health care delivery in Abia state. He thanked them for considering it necessary to call off the strike action earlier embarked on by Association of Resident Doctors, saying when there is strike a lot of people suffer. While appreciating their decision to call off the strike , he said ,” you have the compassion ,you negotiated ,you have patience and give time so that government will respond .I am sure that government will respond to your demand and make you comfortable because what you are doing is very vital job to the society and to yourselves, so thank you for calling off that strike
He ,lauded the NMA Abia chairman Dr Chimezie Okwuonu and his team for what they are doing and what they are about to do ,and commended the immediate past NMA leadership for the effort made to the event center till handover to Dr Chimezie Okwuonu.
In his words ,” So my dear sister ,I thank you very much for what your Abia NMA Chairman said you achieved , that shows the capacity of women ,that you people can do wonderful when given opportunity. I thank you for the extent you went and the extent you and your colleagues have gone now .I am surprise and I will ask how do you get the money to do all these things. It is not easy for what you have done “
He also congratulated Professor Onyebuchi Azubuike ,the Medical Director of Federal Medical Center Umuahia for his new academic status as a professor, describing him as “an intelligent person who has made NMA people proud, I am very proud of you”
He urged people to use their positions of authority to make others happy , ” The purpose of governance is to make people happy ,alleviate the problems of people .Whenever you are in a position of authority like all of you are in positions of authority ,you have to make use of that opportunity to help people and help yourself, but there are some people who are naturally wicked if you are in this class ,I will urge you to desist from it because you are dealing with people ”
Chief T.A Orji thank the NMA Abia state delegates led by the chairman Dr Okwuonu Chimezie for finding time to visit him and for appreciating his numerous contributions in the area of health sector,saying when he was governor and up till now, he gives preference to health because ,” I believe that it is only a healthy person that will enjoy the dividends of democracy. A sick person does not know if you are building road,a sick person does not know if there is light ,a sick person finds it even difficult to eat. So it is only when you are healthy that you think of these things ,you can ask government why have they not build this road ,government why is it like this and why is it like that and doctors why are you doing this. That is why I appreciate you ,I value you ,I will support you .I did that when I was governor of this state ,like I have said I have forgotten most of them but you captured almost all of them ” he said.
Speaking further ,senator Orji ,disclosed that , ” In the senate where I am ,I have also provided jobs for medical people for doctors ,you know unemployment is now everywhere ,those who are not within my constituency, who do not work in Umuahia ,but who come from Umuahia ,who are outside ,some of them in the state ,other States, they come to me and the connection I have ,I connect them to get job and after they come and thank me ,very well
Earlier in his speech,
the NMA Abia chairman ,Dr Okwuonu Chimezie who led a delegate of the NMA Abia State members on a courtesy visit to the Senator T .A Orji in his liaison office at Ojike street Umuahia ,Abia state, congratulated him on his efforts in the health sector as a Governor in the past and as a serving Senator .
According to Dr Okwuonu and his delegates , ” We are ready to discuss and engage our members in the primary health care centers to ensure uninterrupted services when needed .We also call on the local Government Authorities to fully utilize this opportunity provided by the distinguished senator in ensuring that quality health care services are delivered to their constituents by providing community health care extension workers ,nurses, medical officers ,laboratory technicians and other cadre of health workers “even as he urged the communities where the health centres are located to cooperate by ensuing and complementing security of properties in these health centres.
Speaking further, he urged the Senator to continue looking closely to the health sector in Abia as he has done in the past and see further ways of collaborating with the NMA ,adding that as an association NMA has its challenges and ,” we try to engage and advocate for welfare of our members, and better health sector in Abia from our perspective “
He pointed out , that the State government is trying ,and as a past Governor and serving Senator who enjoys the respect and goodwill of many Abians ,”we earnestly believe you know what some of the problems are ,especially the remote causes and we believe you can assist us in our effort to ensure our members are highly spirited as usual to render services in our dear state and that Abia continues to enjoy the respect it deserves in the comity of States in Nigeria “
Dr Okwuonu , described Senator T.A Orji as a builder and appeal to him to come and help NMA in its efforts to build a befitting edifice for the Abia Doctors .
He however , enumerated some of the giant strides of Senator T.A Orji in the area of health sector, to include, ” construction of state of the art primary health care center in Umuariaga Ikwuano LGA with accommodation quarters and call rooms ,construction of an ultra modern primary health centre in Ukome Isieke Umuahia North LGA with accommodation quarters and call room ,sponsoring of a Radio Health programme, Senator T .A. Orji health programme on radio stations, flagship program, Senator T A Orji Eye Surgery programme and the Senator T A Orji Eye training institute, which he described as,” a pride to Abia state ” ,
Others are ,” construction of multi – purpose hall as a constituency project at the Federal medical center Umuahia in the past, as a state Governor, you donated a Hiace Buses to NMA Abia state, established the Abia state Specialist hospital ,Dialysis and Diagnostic center.
The climax of the visit was the handing over of some medical gifts from NMA Abia to Senator T A Orji by the MD Federal Medical Center Umuahia, Professor Azubuike Onyebuchi and the NMA 2021 Diary by the NMA Abia chairman, Dr Chimezie Okwuonu on behalf of their colleagues