UPTH CMD lauds Tinubu over N10bn Ebola fund

Professor Chituru Orluwene, the Chief Medical Director and CEO of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), has lauded President Bola Tinubu for allocating N10 billion towards preventing the resurgence of the Ebola virus in Nigeria. Orluwene praised this move as a crucial proactive measure, underscoring the administration's prioritization of healthcare.

Speaking at a UPTH Management Retreat on Strategic Planning in Port Harcourt, Orluwene expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve and commended the President's "Renewed Hope Agenda," which places healthcare as a key pillar. He specifically cited the N10 billion fund as an example of sensible governance, emphasizing the need to prepare for potential health threats rather than reacting to them.

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I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President and Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for giving me the opportunity to serve in this capacity. Not only that, but for placing healthcare as one of the greatest pillars of the Renewed Hope Agenda of this administration.

Orluwene acknowledged that UPTH, a significant tertiary healthcare institution in the South-South region, faces considerable challenges. These include infrastructural deficits, funding limitations, equipment shortages, and human resource gaps, which impact its ability to meet the high expectations of patients, communities, and regulatory bodies.

To address these issues, Orluwene announced his administration's commitment to a rigorous, evidence-based, and participatory strategic planning process. The goal is to develop a dynamic roadmap for the next five years, guiding decisions, investments, and actions to improve healthcare delivery at UPTH.

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And quite recently he has made available the sum of N10 billion to combat the resurgence of Ebola in Nigeria so that we start to prepare before it comes in. That is what any reasonable government should do. We must be proactive and not reactive; and that is what the President has done.