Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Ure, has reiterated the administration’s commitment to narrowing the shortcomings in both primary and secondary healthcare delivery across the state.
Speaking at the 4th annual scientific meeting of the Nigerian Prosthetics, Orthotic and Orthopedic Technology Society (NPOOTS) in Port Harcourt, Ure — represented by the Director of Medical Services, Dr Nwachuku Vincent — praised the society for providing artificial limbs to amputees within the state.
She affirmed the government’s readiness to collaborate with NPOOTS to ensure that prosthetic and orthotic care becomes accessible at the primary and secondary healthcare levels.
The Commissioner explained that the ministry had already set in motion several actionable policies designed to extend medical services to some of the most underserved parts of Rivers State. She added that the administration’s vision, encapsulated in the governor’s mantra, “health for Rivers people,” was already taking shape under Gov. Siminalayi Fubara’s ongoing reforms.
“The governor has so far employed over 2,000 health workers and had promised more employment even as he is expanding healthcare facilities across rural communities.
“I believe, with proper synergy, prosthetic and orthotic services could also get to rural communities,” she said.
Also speaking, Prof. Rufai Ahmad, Registrar of the Medical Rehabilitation Therapist Board of Nigeria, raised alarm over the shortage of trained personnel in prosthetic and orthotic care nationwide. While emphasising the critical importance of the field, he urged authorities and stakeholders to prioritise continuous professional training.
“We have very few qualified professionals in Nigeria who provide these services; in the boards, we have registered only less than 400 members,” he said.
Dr Onwukamuche Chikwado Kingsley, immediate past president of NPOOTS, attributed the soaring prices of artificial prosthetics to the volatile foreign exchange market, which affects the cost of imported components. He appealed to the government to extend health insurance coverage to patients requiring prosthetics and to incorporate prosthetic and orthotic services into the primary healthcare structure.
