The Anambra State Government in its bid to ensure that quality healthcare is accessible to rural dwellers in the state, is working towards introducing a new healthcare scheme in the state known as on-shore, off-shore health scheme through the state ministry of health.

Governor Willie Obiano disclosed this in Awka at the commissioning of an Ultra-Modern Slice CT-SCAN diagnostic machine at Eldorado Multi-Specialist Hospital in the state capital, assuring that the government would also renovate about 63 primary healthcare facilities across the state in order to improve healthcare delivery at the community levels.

Obiano, who was represented at the event by the Director of Public Health in the Anambra State Ministry of Health Dr. Emmanuel Okafor, said that while the Federal Government is setting up machinery to equip one primary healthcare centre in each political ward across the country, his administration would compliment Federal Government's effort through the renovation of the selected 63 hospitals to boost healthcare delivery in the state.

The governor noted that about 400 workers include pharmacists, medical doctors, nurses and Laboratory Scientists among others were recently recruited into the health sector adding that the recruitment exercise was necessary to address dearth of medical personnel in the Anambra State health sector as well as to beef up staff strength to ensure that healthcare services were rendered without interruption.

He further described the on-shore/off-shore health scheme as a situation where health workers would be posted to hard-to-reach areas where they stay and work for two weeks after which they will be replaced by another set of health workers.

He reiterated that the aim was to make quality healthcare services get to rural dwellers in the remotest communities and villages in Anambra State.

Obiano explained that the state government's involvement in the commissioning of the CT-Scan diagnostic machine at Eldorado hospital was to provide the enabling environment as well as ensure that the hospital was registered with the appropriate departments in the Ministry of Health to enable it operate without hindrances adding that private health facilities are fully integrated into the health objectives of the state government.

On his part, the Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Awka one Dr. Okeke assured that the CT-Scan would help reduce medical tourism abroad and also create job opportunities for Nigerians. According to him, the private health sector has to fill the gaps in the healthcare delivery especially when government has to contend with meagre resources.

He hailed the management of Eldorado Hospital, Awka for the bold initiative to install a CT-Scan, saying that the facility would help to diagnose diseases hidden to the ordinary eye especially cancer cells. Okeke added that the facility will help in the management of stroke and prostrates even as he observed that more awareness creation was needed.

•Photo showsGovernor Obiano.