The Delta State Government has pushed back against claims that it prioritises flashy infrastructure over grassroots healthcare, insisting that primary healthcare remains a core focus of the Oborevwori administration.
Responding to comments by popular health influencer Aproko Doctor, who suggested politicians favour flyovers and ultra-modern hospitals while neglecting primary healthcare centres, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, said the assertion does not apply to Delta State.
Onojaeme said that while roads and flyovers are visible symbols of development, healthcare has received sustained and deliberate attention under Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
He disclosed that in less than two years, the administration has renovated 150 primary healthcare centres across the three senatorial districts, out of the state’s 441 health facilities, with another 150 currently being assessed. According to him, this will bring the total number of upgraded PHCs to 300, improving community-level access and easing pressure on secondary and tertiary hospitals.
The commissioner noted that the state’s free maternal and under-five healthcare programme continues to record positive results, including declining maternal and infant mortality rates. He revealed that Governor Oborevwori recently approved ₦2 billion to sustain the programme, alongside regular funding to strengthen Universal Health Coverage.
Onojaeme said state-owned hospitals now enjoy full autonomy to retain and utilise 100 per cent of their internally generated revenue, enabling quicker procurement of drugs, equipment maintenance, and improved patient care.
He added that dialysis machines have been installed across state hospitals, cutting waiting times and reducing the cost of dialysis from about ₦70,000 to ₦45,000 per session. CT scan machines at Warri Central Hospital and Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara, are already enhancing diagnosis of cancer, stroke, and internal injuries, while new echocardiography machines are improving cardiac care.
To further expand advanced diagnostics, Onojaeme said three MRI machines have been ordered for Asaba Specialist Hospital, Central Hospital Warri, and DELSUTH Oghara, ensuring each senatorial district has access to high-end imaging. Delivery is expected by April, with site preparations underway.
Beyond infrastructure, he disclosed that a new College of Health Sciences is being established at Ovrode in Isoko North Local Government Area to complement the existing institution at Ofuoma and boost the training of middle-level health workers.
He also said the long-abandoned Mother and Child Hospital in Ekpan is nearing completion, while a new Specialist Hospital is under development in Osubi, Okpe Local Government Area, modelled after the Asaba Specialist Hospital.
Onojaeme described Delta as the only state with over 60 functional, government-owned hospitals, noting that the administration is expanding, not scaling back, healthcare investment.
On health insurance, he said enrollment in the Delta State Contributory Health Scheme has exceeded 2.78 million residents as of January 2026, making it Nigeria’s largest state-backed health insurance programme. The scheme covers both formal and informal sector workers and prioritises vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, children under five, the elderly, widows, and indigent residents.
He added that facial recognition technology has been introduced at accredited facilities to improve efficiency and transparency.
Onojaeme reaffirmed the Oborevwori administration’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage, stressing that affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare remains a top priority for the state.
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