Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe has taken her pet medical project “Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) Free Medical Outreach” to the people of Plateau Central for easy accessibility to free medical care.
In a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Mrs Boade Akinola and made available to Blueprint, said Mrs. Ochekpe in declaring the ceremony open recently at Federal College of Education, Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau, revealed that her effort at bringing the medical care to the doorstep of the grass root is to complement the efforts of the Federal Government in providing health care facilities to the citizenry.
She said that the free medical outreach in the local government area of Plateau State which is being sponsored by her in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, Soteria Afrique, Urban Frontiers Mission International, Association of Resident Doctors –Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and Afri Foundation is dedicated to President Goodluck Jonathan for his efforts geared towards improving the health care of the people of Nigeria.
She maintained that despite Federal government efforts at improving Nigerians access to good quality health care, many people in the rural areas do not have access to good medical care and are not able to access it due to lack of finance or the inability to go to places to access the medical care. “So, we are bringing the free medical care in order to get close to the grass root where they most needed it”, she said.
She reiterated that in line with the Federal Government directives of providing potable drinking water to every citizens and the rehabilitation of a 1000 dysfunctional boreholes all over the country this year, the Federal Government is determined to provide potable drinking water to the college of over 15,000 students in particular and the local government in general by rehabilitating and converting the existing borehole in the institute to a solar powered industrial borehole at the cost of thirty million naira (N30million).
Earlier in his welcome address, the Provost of Federal College of Education, Professor David L. Wonang described Mrs. Ochekpe as a developer. He expressed her immense contribution to the educational development of the region ever before she became a Minister.
