THE Delta Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Azinge, yesterday disclosed that the state government is to spend more than N3bn to upgrade, rehabilitate and buy hospital equipment for about 19 health institutions across the three senatorial districts of the state.
The commissioner, who said some of such health institutions have been completed, while others are ongoing, also disclosed that over N1bn has been disbursed to contractors to enable them carry on with their work.
Dr. Azinge disclosed this during the last segment of the ministerial press briefing held at Government House, Asaba yesterday.
He said the health institutions are located in Abavo, Patani, Warri, Agbor, Ofuoma, Oghara and Asaba, among other towns.
The commissioner pointed out that the policy thrust of the government is to ensure better quality health care delivery services to the people of the state.
Dr. Azinge noted that due to the above, the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has declined from 459 in 2007 to 111 per 100,000 live births in 2015 just as Pre-natal Death Rate has also declined.
The commissioner said under the period in review, the ministry also generated about N319, 000,000 through the Health Management Board (HMB) and equally secured a World Bank funded programme for two years to facilitate maternal, child health, immunization, malaria and nutrition services at the primary health care level.
“Between May 2015 and October 2016, revenue of over N319 million was collected by the Ministry and the HMB,” adding, “between January and November, 2016, the Drug Revolving Fund (DRF) has supplied drugs, medical consumable and laboratory reagents worth N806 million to hospitals in the state.”
Azinge disclosed that the government intends to complete and equipment the Central Hospital, Asaba and render more beneficial health care services in the years ahead.
According to him, “it is our determination to ensure that quality healthcare is made available, accessible, affordable and delivered to all Deltans with appropriate technology and accountability.”
Meanwhile, the Delta State Commissioner for Finance, Olorogun David Edevbie yesterday said that the state government realised the sum of N56, 646, 821,063. 75 through Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) between June, 2015 and September 30, 2016, representing a budget performance of 68.53 per cent as compared to the proportionate budget revenue for the period under review
The state commissioner, who disclosed this in Asaba during the ongoing ministerial press briefing in the state, noted that it is a modest performance that needs to be improved upon, saying, “Even though it has to recognised that there has been a contraction in the tax base during the period under review.
He revealed that following the prevailing harsh economic downturn in the country, the revenue base of the state accruable from taxation has reduced tremendously, given a number of reasons which according to him, bothers largely on some factors which include, tax invasion, relocation of several companies from the state due to communal crisis among others.
According to him, the aggregate revenue accrued to the state between May 29, 2015 and September, 30, this year stood at N192. 50 Billion compared to the N2 80. 71 billion budgeted for the period under review.
He noted that while recurrent expenditure was broadly in line with budget, the overall decline in total revenue had adversely affected spending on capital projects, stressing that “the ratio of recurrent to capital expenditure over the period was 80:20 compared to the budgeted ratio of 60:40.
He however, stated that the state government is already putting machineries in place to address the revenue challenge, which among others include the restructuring of the State Board of Internal Revenue for greater efficiency of tax collection from corporate and high net worth individuals, greater scrutiny of the wage bill aimed at eliminating ghost workers and other fraud.
Edevbie who said that the state’s Domestic Debt is still in excess of N237. 80 billion as at September 30, this year, however noted that the sum consists of debts owed local contractors, borrowings from commercial banks, the second Delta State Bond, bailout assistance from the Federal Government, as well as pension and gratuity arrears.
While saying that debts owed local contractors in the state is in excess of N100 billion, the commissioner, however, hinted that most of the debt was inherited from the previous administration, just as he explained that plans are on to ensure that the debts owed contractors would be reduced to manageable levels, after the completion of the ongoing verification exercise and renegotiation with the state’s key contractors.
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