FG to check medical trips abroad

Category: News Published on Friday, 15 February 2013 05:00 Written by Atika Balal

The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to reduce the number of persons who embark on medical trips abroad by upgrading the country’s health sector.

Information Minister, Labaran Maku, said this yesterday when he led the National Good Governance Tour team on an inspection tour of a cancer screening centre and other projects at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Rivers State.

Maku, who assured that there will be constant training of health practitioners, also stressed the need for sustainability.

Chief Medical Director of the University Teaching Hospital, Prof Aaron Ojule, said the centre provides specialized cancer care and screening for breast, prostate and cervical cancer among others.

Ojule said paucity of funds stalled completion of the amenity centre which began in 2010. The team also visited the state dental maxillo facial hospital and a primary health care centre in Abalama. Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Samson Parker, told the team that the state has since embarked on providing free medical care for registered indigenes.