The photos of depleting state of primary health centers where gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Akpazu of Abia state espected pregnant women in the state to go and deliver their babies has emerged.

 
 
 

The governor who’s son married his bride in colorful wedding ceremony, was heard while speaking on an interview, was heard, saying that Abia state operated a free delivery policy and that a ₦500 take-home package will be given to every woman who delivered in any of the 687 PHCs across the 17 LGAs. 

 
 
 

In his words; 

“Abia State has keyed into the basic health insurance for pregnant women. If you give birth in any of our centres, you get ₦500.

 
 
 

“Delivery is free; they give you a delivery pack and ₦500, which is running for the vulnerable members of the society.”

 

The host of the interview asked what the ₦500 could do for the women, the governor said,

 

“Free delivery; are you asking a poor woman, what will she do with ₦500? Some people don’t have it. At least it will pay their way back home.”

 
 
 

Days after he made these comments on an interview, the citizen of Abia state took to several social media to express their disappointments, and tagged the governor, “The ₦500 Governor.” in several funny memes which were posted online.

 
 

DailyTrust however, took a deep dive and visited some of the primary health centers where the governor expected these pregnant women to delivery their baby, and discovered that these Health Centers are nothing to write home about.

 
 
 

Not only that theses government owned health centers are not in any shape to house a pregnant woman, let alone having a child delivered there, the pregnant women lamented that even the promised ₦500 was not seen and nothing was given to them.

 
 
 

A pregnant woman and also a worker of one of the pregnant women, who spoke to DailyTrust in anonymity said;

 

“The structures are dilapidated and the environment is so bushy that patients prefer to travel for medical attention, and the staff no longer discharge their duties as patients are not visiting the hospital because of the dilapidated nature of the facility.’’

 

Some nursing mothers in Obi-Ebere community in Ikwuano LGA said they were not aware of such money and delivery pack by the government.

 
 
 

One Mrs Ngozi Ihejirika said she delivered two weeks ago at the PHC in Obi-Ebere and that nothing was given to her.

 
 
 

Some of the nursing mothers who spoke to our correspondent said they would go back to the PHC and demand their N500, while others laughed at the amount of money the government said was giving them.

 
 

Gov. Ikpeazu boasted that the ₦500 for pregnant women  is an initiative of the basic health insurance for pregnant women because resident doctors had been on strike over non-payment of salaries.