BY SUNDAY EGEDE
THE Delta State Government (DTSG) has expressed readiness to further overhaul and upgrade health centres across the state in 2026, in recognition of the critical role of healthcare in human existence.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, disclosed this while speaking on the giant strides recorded by the Ministry of Health in 2025, during a briefing in Asaba.
Onojaeme said the state currently has 441 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) spread across the three Senatorial districts, noting that 150 of them were upgraded in the outgoing year.
“Out of the 441 primary health centres across the three Senatorial districts, we were able to upgrade 150 in 2025. We are not resting on our oars; more health centres will be attended to in 2026”, he said.
The commissioner attributed the achievements to the commitment of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori administration to strengthen the health sector, adding that world-class medical equipment has been procured for secondary health facilities across the state.
According to him, the procurement of modern equipment has significantly reduced the cost of critical medical services, particularly dialysis.
“Governor Sheriff Oborevwori administration procured world-class medical facilities in our secondary health institutions. This effort has helped to reduce the cost of dialysis from N70,000 to N45,000 in government hospitals”, Onojaeme stated.
He further revealed that the State Executive Council (EXCO) had approved the procurement of three Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines to serve the three senatorial districts.
“EXCO approved the procurement of three MRI machines for Central Hospital, Warri; Asaba Specialist Hospital, Asaba; and Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara.
“These are high-grade machines that even some states do not have. In His Excellency’s wisdom, these procurements were approved, and by projection, we expect to receive the MRI machines in the first quarter of next year,” he said.
Dr. Onojaeme also addressed the issue of manpower shortages in public hospitals, explaining that the state government had taken steps to recruit health workers to fill gaps created by retirement, death, or voluntary exit.
“To curb the shortage of manpower in our hospitals as a result of retirement, death, or voluntary exit, the state government has employed qualified personnel to fill the vacant positions,” he noted.
The commissioner assured that all ongoing health sector projects would receive adequate attention in 2026, warning contractors handling projects under the ministry to strictly adhere to approved standards.
“All ongoing projects in the health sector will be attended to in 2026. Contractors must adhere to specifications and standards, or they should be ready to face severe sanctions,” he warned.
Speaking on the impact of recent health sector reforms, Dr. Onojaeme said maternal mortality and under-five mortality rates had reduced significantly in the state, while routine immunization programmes had been sustained to prevent disease outbreaks.
“Following the reforms in our healthcare services, maternal mortality and under-five mortality have reduced. Regular immunisation has been sustained to avoid outbreaks of diseases,” he said.
He emphasised that the Oborevwori administration’s health reforms go beyond infrastructure and equipment to include the welfare of health workers.
“We are not just into infrastructure upgrade and equipping. We are also focusing on human resources for health. The areas of corrected remuneration were approved about six weeks ago, and payments were made about two weeks ago.
“The minimum a doctor received was not less than N500,000, while the highest received about N1.8 million. This reverse remuneration approach is deliberate and reflects our commitment to the welfare of health workers who man our facilities,” he explained.
