Health facility Matters...

Women Protest Planned Concessioning of Health Facility.... — Ishi Ogwa Umunneato autonomous community was completely shut down, yesterday, as hundreds of aggrieved women protested the planned concessioning of the medical facility in the area. The embittered women who carried fresh green leaves, also sang all manner of derogatory songs as they marched round the community before terminating their protest in the medical facility. While recalling that the medical establishment in their area, which was on the verge of being concessioned by Governor Rochas Okorocha, was built through self help effort and handed over to government. Explaining their grievance to newsmen, the Vice President of the Women's Wing of the Community Development Union, Mrs. Iheoma Njoku, appealed to the state government to resist the temptation of pursuing anti-people policies. "The health sector is not a profit making venture. Government should rather equip the health centre in their community, so as to effectively serve the needs of the rural dwellers instead of concessioning it to profiteers", Njoku said. She complained bitterly that while public power supply to the community had since turned into a huge luxury, the roads in the area are in very bad state. Mrs. Njoku vowed that the women would stoutly resist any attempt by government to concession the only health facility in the area that serves the people.