The Health Care Reforms of the Governor Godwin Obaseki administration got a boost with the ground breaking of Lebarty Medical hospital in Benin City to bring health care to the door steps of rural people and reduce medical tourism.
Performing the ground breaking ceremony, a former Commissioner for Health in Edo State, Dr. Patrick Okundia and other distinguished guests commended the Chief Executive Officer of Lebarty Medical Hospital, Dr. Nosa Aigbe Lebarty for the bold step to leave his comfort zone in the United States of America to come home to setup a five-star hospital.
According to Dr. Okundia, “this is a great day indeed, some of us had very important schedules but we have to abandon them to honour our brother who has made this sacrifice to come back home to invest.”
“The decision and this bold step taken by Dr. Nosa Lebarty who is based in New York need to be encouraged and supported. We are in a society where I can say things are bad and the health care delivery system in the country is highly challenged.
“As we speak, on a daily basis Nigerian doctors and nurses are leaving the country. Check all the embassies, they are all filling all the spaces with application to leave. But in the midst of this we have our son coming home to invest.
“Having served as Commissioner for health, I know there are challenges from the primary health care level to secondary health care level, but the government of the day is making efforts with the health care system reforms.
“Because of these challenges people are dying and they have to seek health care from the wrong places and some time before they come to the hospital it is too late. I have the privilege to know the magnitude of what Dr. Nosa is proposing to do here and it is a bold step to assist the government of Edo state.
“We have the situation when medical tourism has been the order of the day, people run out to seek health care outside. I have the confidence to say when this project is completed, we are going to get people moving into Edo state to seek health care in this place.
“As we do this ground breaking ceremony it is my prayer that God will reward Dr. Nosa and see this project through in record time to completion and we will all be here to do the commissioning of the project,” he added.
The Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Barr Andrew Adaze Emwanta, who was represented by the Ag. General Manager of the Nigerian Observer, Aiyegbeni Balogun thanked Dr. Nosa for coming to invest in the health sector.
“Edo State Government is very interested in the health sector, that is why the reforms are going on with the restructuring of the health sector because a healthy man is a wealthy man. The government wants a healthy Edo State.
“We really appreciate you because there are many out there, instead of coming in, they are running out but you have decided to come and impact the lives of your people and this gesture takes a good heart and patriotic mind.
“You are not just coming to develop the health sector but to also affect lives positively in terms of employment. We sincerely thank you and it is our earnest prayer that you will bring it to completion and the lord almighty will make the divine provision and protect you from any power that want to stop the project,”
The Chairman and Chief Executive of Precious Royal Palm Hotel and Prosperity Micro finance Bank, Barr. Jude Nosagie said from the discussions with Dr. Nosa he has concluded that Nigeria will rise again because there are still people like him who are still thinking about home, feeling some form of duty to give back and that is not easy.
“Dr. Nosa is not the richest Benin man in America, but I cannot conclude that because I have not met all the Benin people, but he is a medical doctor in America who by any standard will question why he wants to leave his comfort zone to come and invest here.
“I really thank God for your life because I know what you went through to come this far. This was not your first choice of land but God has a way of doing things. I want to appeal to the community to support the project because I can foresee how the properties here are going to appreciate.
“Secondly, when you look at the distance between here and the Central Hospital, you know how far it is and for you to now have a hospital of the kind Dr. Nosa want to put here, there will hardly be any hospital around that can compete with it.
“Everybody in the community by extension should see themselves as stakeholders, as part owner because some of your children will work here. I know that there are some nurses in this community that go very far but with this they do not need to go far any more and the economy of the area will grow,” he said.
While welcoming the guests, Dr. Nosa Aigbe Lebarty who disclosed that he was sixteen years when he moved to America said he realized that it is time he has to come home to give back to the community.
“This is not just a community health center but an edifice and health facility that is going to serve every one and to reverse the trend of people moving out of the country for medical care to people coming in to our country to seek medical care and this will come to fruition.
The ground breaking was attended by chiefs from the palace of the Oba of Benin, Community leaders and youths and the Ohen Ogba n’khure of Aruogba village, Jeffrey Omosonwan who said they are happy for the project which will bring development to the area.
“Initially we thought it was a small project until we saw bull dozers working on the large expanse of land and we are praying for Dr. Nosa to be able to complete it and also assuring him of the community support,” he noted.
