The people of Etche, an oil bearing community in Rivers State will soon be travelling to and from Port Harcourt with ease as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), begins the dualisation of the over 40 kilometre Igwuruta-Amala road with bridges.
Site Manager of the firm handling the project, Engr. Dyer in a chat with newsmen said the company has completed the asphalting of about 4.3 kilometres after clearing, excavation, mounting and grading on both side of the road.
Commending the NDDC for embarking on the project, a tipper driver said the expanded road would enhance their sand tipping business.
“I am very happy that the NDDC is expanding this road for us; the dualisation will help us to increase the number of tips we make daily”, he said.
Meanwhile the Commission has commenced the construction of a Specialist and Orthopedic hospital in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The hospital comprising Orthopedic and Cardiovascular units, when completed will deal with the correction of injuries to the skeletal system, associated muscles, joints and ligaments while the cardiovascular unit will treat heart problems, said to be prevalent in the region.
Briefing newsmen at the project site along Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, Engr. King Babalola disclosed that his firm has excavated and constructed 349 pads for the one storey orthopedic unit and already started blinding for the foundation of the four-storey cardiovascular centre.
“The foundation stage is the most difficult in building construction but going by the pace of work, we are sure of delivering this project before the end of this year”, he assured.
World Cancer Day: ACN Blames Amaechi For Rising Cancer Cases/Deaths
As the world celebrates World Cancer Day, the Rivers State Chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN has blamed the state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi for the seeming inability of government to provide medical care for cancer patients in the state.
The Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Jerry Needam, disclosed this on the occasion of the 2013 World Cancer Day, in Port Harcourt.
The party regretted that from 2008 to 2013, under Governor Rotimi Amaechi, the rate of cancer cases and death occasioned issues associated with cancer have risen.
The ACN revealed that there is no cancer unit in the Ministry of Health neither does Braithwaite Memorial Hospital (BMH) have a cancer department to address the rising cases of cancer in the state.
The party also condemned the non-availability of Radiotherapy used in the treatment of cases of cancer in BMH.
The party further regretted that under Gov Amaechi’s health programme, no provision is made for cancer and other related diseases.
The Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi lacks the way forward to prevent and control cancer in the state, despite strong evidence that huge amount of money, in the neighbourhood of N100 billion budgeted for the sector.
We condemn government ineffectiveness considering the fact that cancer is curable and preventable.
We also condemn the inability of Governor Amaechi to make the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital functional after billions of naira have been sunk into the unit.
“The ICU is a place in the hospital where critical cases like stroke, burns, accidents, cancer etc are treated and monitored with sophisticated equipments” the ACN said.
For the non-existence of this essential health unit in BMH, a very senior journalist, and publisher in the state could not be given the urgent attention required over the weekend, prompting his referral to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH).
The party accused the Rivers State government of using the ICU to loot Rivers tax payers’ money calls for an investigation into the ICU, to determine why the centre that is critical to the health sector is not functional after billions of naira, tax payers’ money have been committed into the project.
The ACN expressed worry over the alarming rate of cancer patients in the state, lack of facilities at government hospitals, lack of cancer departments at BMH and other government health centres and the non-functional ICU, after billions of naira have been sunk into the project.
ACN demands explanations and investigation into the ICU at the BMH, Port Harcourt.
