Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has said that mothers who give birth in government health institutions in the southeast state will receive N500 and a delivery pack.
Ikpeazu who made the statement while appearing on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, said the move became essential since access to quality healthcare is expensive.
“Abia State has keyed into the basic health insurance for pregnant women. If you put to bed in any of our primary healthcare centres, you get N500,” the governor told Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday.
“Delivery is free; they give you a delivery pack and they give N500 which is running for the vulnerable members of the society.”
The governor, who defended the move, stated that it is aimed at vulnerable and poor people, and that the delivery pack includes items needed to care for newborn babies.
“But if you want a certain level of medicare, you should be able to pay,” Ikpeazu noted, adding: “Are you asking a poor woman what she will do with N500? Some people don’t have it.”
While the money may appear to be insignificant, the governor stated that “at the least, it will pay their way back home.”
Governor Ikpeazu, who also addressed the non-payment of salary to resident doctors in the state, stated that his administration is working hard to improve healthcare.
“If you are running a hospital and you want to get paid, the way to go is not to stay at home or to take away patients that come to those hospitals to your private clinic,” Ikpeazu stated but conceded that people deserve their wages.
“The way to go is for you to work. The government will do two things: not only paying salaries because paying you without equipment will amount to not giving the people optimum service. So, I said I was going to provide equipment.”
