Rivers Needs Competent Health Commissioner – Prof. Ordu

A leading medical practitioner in Nigeria, Prof. Kenneth Ordu has appealed to the governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminialayi Fubara to appoint a competent and qualified medical doctor to man the state health sector.
Prof. Kenneth Ordu made the appeal last Thursday in a chat with newsmen in his office in Port Harcourt.
“I want to appeal to Governor Siminialayi Fubara to use his supreme executive power to appoint an experienced and qualified medical doctor as the next commissioner for Health in the state. Rivers State needs a competent and capable medical practitioner as our new commissioner for Health,” Prof Ordu said.
Ordu who, is the dean, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Rivers State University stated that whoever or whichever medical personnel that would get the plumb job of the state ministry of Health must be a dedicated health practitioner and not a selfish person.
“Any medical doctor that will be appointed to pilot the activities of the state ministry of Health must be somebody that will not be selfish.
“Indeed, such a person should ensure health care delivery as well as give his colleagues and stakeholders a sense of belonging.’
The university don also advised the officials of the government of the day in the state to open up more spaces in order to absorb more health workers such as nurses and medical lab scientists and also pay them well.
He pointed out that the main reasons why medical doctors and other health workers leave the country for greener pasture is because of insecurity and poor remuneration.
“The primary reason for medical doctors and other health professionals to go for greener pasture oversea is remuneration. For the past decades, the remuneration for medical doctors in this country has not changed. In fact, the factor that makes people or health professionals to migrate outside the country is about 80% remuneration while the issue of lack of health facilities is 20 percent. The number one reason for oversea jobs is remuneration. Another is insecurity,” Prof. Ordu stated.
He condemned the move by the members of the Ninth National Assembly to enact an Act that would ensure that every medical doctor practices for five years in Nigeria before he or she goes abroad to work, pointing out that such a law can only work if there is a kind of scholarship for intending medical students.
He commended the immediate past governor of the state Chief Nyesom Wike and the VC of RSU for their support to the Medical College of RSU.
He urged the students of the college to take their study seriously
As at press time, 13 commissioners have been screened by the Rivers House of Assembly (RSHA) and sworn in by Governor Siminialayi Fubara and none has been assigned the Health portfolio.