Janet Samuel, Abuja
Parliamentarians of the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS, have called for access to affordable healthcare for citizens of the region.
Co-Chairman of the ECOWAS Parliament Joint Committee on Health, Education, Science and Culture/ Telecommunications and Information Technology Industry and Private Sector, Senator Onyeka Peter Nwebonyi who is also the Deputy Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate made the call on Thursday in Conakry, Guinea.
The lawmaker from Ebonyi North at the National Assembly who spoke after the joint committee of the ECOWAS Parliament visited some health facilities in Conakry on the sidelines of the Committee’s delocalised meeting said, leaders in other west African nations should take a cue from what Guinea did for it citizens by establishing a world class hospital that is managed for the good of the people.
The members of ECOWAS Parliament joint committee on Health, Education, Science and Culture/ Telecommunications and Information Technology| Industry and Private visited the oldest hospital in Conakry established in 1900, Ignace Deen Centre Hospitalier Universitaire and the Hopital Nationale Donka Guinea.
The President Concession Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Donka, Alpha Diallo, said the hospital was built and equipped through collaboration with the private sector, and it is operated on concession with Canadian expatriates.
He said there are arrangements in the areas of capacity building for citizens of Guinea who are expected to take over when it will be handed over fully to the Guinean authorities.
The Head of Administration of the hospital, Doctor Denis Bernard Richie, who expressed satisfaction with the standard set, said this has put an end to medical tourism.
Doctor Richie said they’re happy to be in charge of the hospital and to provide health care for people in Guinea and beyond.
Earlier at the first hospital visited by the parliamentarians, the Managing Director of the Ignace Deen Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Dr. Dady Balde said the hospitall was named after a Beninoise Doctor, Ignace Deen, for his service to the health of the people, and it has continued to carter for the needs of the people at a very affordable rate.
He, however, lamented that the medical facilities had not been given the required renovation to meet the need of the modern day.
Responding, the co-chairman of the ECOWAS Parliament Committee and head of the delegation Hon.Orlando Dias Pereira, thanked the hospital management for its medical excellence and promised to convey their request for renovation and support to the appropriate authorities through the instrumentality of WAHO.
