Wike Sacks Rivers Hospitals Mgt Board's CMD

Governor Nyesom Wike has terminated the appointment of the Chief Medical Director of Rivers State Hospital Management Board, Dr Kenneth Okagwa.

Rivers Commissioner for Health, Dr. Princewill Chike, disclosed this in a statement signed by the press officer of the Ministry of Health, Edna Alete on Friday.

The statement directed Dr Kenneth Okagwa to immediately hand over to the next most senior civil servant on the board.

It is, however, not clear why Kenneth was stripped of his appointment.

Wike had on September 10, 2020, inaugurated a seven-man committee to revitalise some dormant health institutions in the state.

The Implementation Committee, chaired by the State Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo has the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor and the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Princewill Chike as members.

Others are ,the Chairman of Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), Dr. J. N. Hart, Chief Medical Director of RSUTH, Dr. Friday Aaron, Chief Medical Director of Rivers State Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Kenneth Okagwa and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mrs. Ndidi Uchay, who is to serve as Secretary.

Wike charged them to deploy every measure required to revamp the Prof. Kelsey Harrison Hospital that has been dormant for quite some time.

He urged them to engage competent personnel that would deliver the best results so that the hospital would begin to offer services to the people of the state.

“Prof. Kelsey Harrison Hospital has not been operational because of a litigation over the agreement between International Trauma and Critical Care Centre Limited(ITCC) and the Rivers State Government.

“The committee set up by the State Executive Council made fundamental recommendations. We, therefore, decided to ensure they are implemented immediately without bureaucracy.

“You are saddled with the responsibility of how Kelsey Harrison Hospital should be revitalised and made more functional. It should serve people in the densely populated area of Diobu.

“There will also be the need to hand it over to the Rivers State Hospitals Management Board at the end of the day,” he said.

He urged the committee to look at the existing agreement and structure it to benefit the state government.

“Why will the hospital rely totally on government when they charge for the services they render. As government, we pay salaries of workers, and we have fixed modern infrastructure and equipment for the hospital.

“We have to look at the 25:75percent revenue sharing ratio between government and the Ashes to Ashes Funeral Limited and review it.

“It is not right that government that built and equipped the mortuary will be collecting 25 percent profit and the service provider collects 75percent.

“The new arrangement will also create room for the hospital to train Pathologists and Morticians at no extra cost.”

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