ASABA/Nigeria: The Delta State Government has dismissed claims that it is prioritising flashy infrastructure over grassroots healthcare, insisting that primary healthcare remains a core focus of the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
Responding to recent social media comments by health influencer Aproko Doctor, who suggested that politicians prefer flyovers and ultra-modern hospitals while neglecting primary healthcare centres, the Commissioner for Health, Joseph Onojaeme, said the assertion does not reflect realities in Delta State.
Onojaeme acknowledged that roads and flyovers are visible symbols of development across the state but stressed that healthcare has consistently received deliberate and strategic attention under the current administration. “That is not true in Delta State. While roads and flyovers are visible across the state, healthcare has always been a major priority of this administration,” he said.
He disclosed that within two years, the Oborevwori administration has renovated 150 primary healthcare centres across the state’s three senatorial districts out of a total of 441 health facilities. According to him, an additional 150 centres are currently being scoped, a move that will bring the total number of renovated facilities to 300 and significantly expand access to quality healthcare at the community level.
The commissioner noted that the state’s free maternal and under-five healthcare programme has continued to record positive outcomes, including reductions in maternal and infant mortality and relief from financial burdens on families. He revealed that Governor Oborevwori recently approved the release of ₦2 billion to sustain the programme, alongside regular funding to strengthen Universal Health Coverage.
Beyond primary care, Onojaeme said state-owned hospitals have been granted full autonomy to retain and utilise 100 per cent of their internally generated revenue, enabling quicker procurement of drugs, better equipment maintenance, and improved responsiveness to patients’ needs. He added that dialysis machines have been installed across state hospitals, reducing waiting times and lowering the cost per session from about ₦70,000 to ₦45,000.
He further disclosed that CT scan machines at Warri Central Hospital and Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara, are already improving diagnosis for cancer, stroke, and internal injuries, while newly procured echocardiography machines are enhancing early detection of heart-related conditions. To expand advanced diagnostics, he said three MRI machines have been ordered for installation at Asaba Specialist Hospital, Central Hospital Warri, and DELSUTH Oghara, ensuring coverage across all senatorial districts.
On manpower development and insurance coverage, Onojaeme disclosed that the state is establishing a new College of Health Sciences at Ovrode in Isoko North Local Government Area to complement the existing institution at Ofuoma, while long-abandoned projects such as the Mother and Child Hospital in Ekpan are nearing completion. He added that enrollment under the Delta State Contributory Health Scheme has surpassed 2.78 million residents as of January 2026, making it the leading state-supported health insurance programme in Nigeria, and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to delivering affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare to all Deltans.
