Delta installs advanced diagnostic equipment across public hospitals

Delta State has deployed three MRI machines, three CT scanners and 25 4D ultrasound machines across its public healthcare system, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Festus Ahon, said on Tuesday. Ahon disclosed the figures during an interview with Independent Radio FM 92.3 in Benin. He said the MRI machines use 1.5-Tesla helium-free technology and had been installed at Asaba Specialist Hospital, Central Hospital, Warri, and Delta State University Teaching Hospital in Oghara.

He said the equipment was intended to improve access to specialised medical diagnosis and reduce the need for residents to travel outside Delta State or abroad for services. The government had also acquired three CT scanners, eight dialysis machines and other radiology and laboratory equipment for major public hospitals, he said. The 25 4D ultrasound machines were distributed to general hospitals across the state’s 25 local government areas.

Ahon said the distribution would bring advanced diagnostic services closer to residents, including people unable to afford diagnosis or treatment outside the state. The governor’s aide also said the administration had employed more than 700 healthcare workers to address staffing shortages. He said Oborevwori had ordered that doctors and nurses who leave the state service be replaced immediately.

Ahon said monthly tax-free allowances of N200,000 for doctors and N100,000 for health officers had been introduced to help retain personnel. He also said more than three million people were enrolled in the state’s contributory health insurance scheme. According to Ahon, children aged zero to five receive free healthcare, while 10,000 widows enrolled in the scheme receive monthly stipends of N15,000.

He added that the state had established colleges in Ovrode and Ozoro to train health workers and medical professionals.