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| Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Woke. Photo Credit: Vanguard |
The Rivers State Executive Council has given the state government the go-ahead to access its share of the N2.5bn Healthcare Support Credit Facility Fund established by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The SEC, at its meeting presided over by Governor Nyesom Wike at Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday, also approved the sum of N8.2bn for the construction of the 10th flyover in the state.
The Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu, while addressing newsmen after the meeting, noted that the CBN established the fund in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to cushion its impact on both the national and subnational economies.
“The N2.5bn is structured into two components. N2bn will be for healthcare infrastructure support and N500m as revolving credit for medical consumables,” he said.
According to him, the state government intends to use the fund to establish a world-class Radiotherapy Centre and Department at the Dr Peter Odili Cancer and Cardiovascular Treatment and Diagnostic Centre in Port Harcourt.
He said part of the cash would be channeled towards the upgrading of healthcare facilities at the Prof. Kesley Harrison Hospital and the Dental and Maxillofacial Hospital in Port Harcourt.
Kamalu said, “As you are aware, the facility has been utilised by virtually all the States and Rivers State is among the few that are yet to utilise the facility.
“So, government has, in its wisdom, thought it necessary that this facility should be accessed so that members of the public, as well as those living in the state can utilise the outcome of this in terms of medical service provision.”