—As medical professionals declare support for his guber ambition
By Lancelot Obiaku
Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November 11 governorship election in Imo State, has said that his administration will give special attention to the health sector if he is elected Governor of the State.
Anyanwu, who is fondly addressed as Samdaddy, stated this on Thursday, August 24, 2023, when he received a team of medical professionals at his campaign office on Okigwe Road, in Owerri, the State capital.
The team which included doctors, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists and optometrists visited the PDP candidate to pledge their unalloyed support for his vision for the State and urge him to give priority attention to the health sector when he becomes Governor.
Speaking on behalf of the team, Dr. Hycent Emele bemoaned the deplorable of the State's health sector, describing it as being in ‘shambles’. He added that the team believes in Samdaddy's ability to fix most of the State's challenges including those in the medical profession.
He said: “We have assessed our State and the leadership options before us ahead of the election. We checked the backgrounds of the candidates and came to an agreement that we can expect more from Samdaddy. We trust that he will govern the State much better than the rest and build a stable, reliable and robust health sector.
“Unfortunately, the health sector in the State is today in shambles. Nothing is working. Please, sir, we urge you to give attention to the health sector when you become Governor”
Responding, Samdaddy decried the deplorable state of the health sector in the State. He regretted that the poor cannot access basic healthcare services as the primary healthcare facilities are not functional.
He pointed out that the health ministry was short-staffed having not done a tangible recruitment of doctors and other skilled health attendants for a long time.
“It's disheartening that grasses have taken over most health centers and public hospitals. Some time ago, I visited one of the public hospitals and the Doctor there was operating with a torchlight with just one nurse by the side. No electricity, no oxygen, no ambulance. I was moved to tears,” Samdaddy recounted.
“We keep losing our best hands in the health sector to other states and nations of the world because the government has not absorbed them and has not taken proper care of the ones already employed.
“As the Governor, Jones and I have resolved to bring back the lost glory of Imo State so that at 2 a.m. a doctor can be called upon to attend to a patient and he or she would not have a second thought. A lot of people have died in the State because people are afraid of moving around at night, even in emergencies.”
