Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has urged all pregnant women in the state to enrol in the Basic Healthcare Provider Fund (BHCPF), which guarantees them free access to maternal and child healthcare services.
Governor Otti made the call on Tuesday at Ibeme Primary Health Centre in Obingwa Local Government Area during the functionalisation of the centre, the 50th Primary Health Centre completed under Project Ekwueme. The project seeks to renovate, retrofit, and equip 200 Primary Health Centres across all 17 local government areas of Abia State.
Represented by the Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, the Governor explained that the BHCPF also provides free healthcare for children under five years and the elderly above 70. He stressed that pregnant women must register with the scheme to enjoy free services, warning that those who fail to enrol would pay for healthcare services.
“For a mother, everything you need from conception to delivery is available here. You will not find these facilities in most private hospitals,” Otti stated. “Once you miss your period, come and register. Our government has already paid for you.”
The Governor noted that the Ibeme Primary Health Centre has been equipped with modern medical tools of international standard, including point-of-care ultrasound machines, and would soon be upgraded to handle surgical operations. He emphasized that such advanced equipment is rare even in some general hospitals, adding that the aim is to bring world-class healthcare to the grassroots.
Governor Otti also cautioned against the use of traditional birth attendants, describing their activities as a major contributor to maternal mortality. He revealed that Obingwa, Bende, and Ukwa East LGAs record the highest maternal deaths in the state, adding that the government is working tirelessly to reverse the trend.
To protect the new facilities, the Governor disclosed that Homeland Security officers have been deployed to man the centres, while urging community members to take ownership and safeguard the infrastructure.
Community leaders, including the Commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Professor Joel Ogbonna, and the traditional ruler of Ibeme, Eze G. N. Ogbonna, expressed gratitude to Governor Otti for the health centre and other developmental projects such as road construction. They also appealed for the extension of the new road to the health facility to ease access.
Similarly, the Mayor of Obingwa LGA, Chief Maxwell Nwadike, represented by Chief Peter Azubuike, commended the Governor’s commitment to the people of the area. He urged residents to utilise the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise to secure their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2027 elections.
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