HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AN EXCEPTIONAL LEADER, A DISTINGUISHED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL AND A CHAMPION OF HEALTHCARE DEVELOPMENT – DR. JOSEPH ONOJAEME!
Honourable Commissioner for Health, Delta State
Today is more than a birthday celebration. It is an opportunity to celebrate a man whose contributions to healthcare development in Delta State deserve commendation, whose responsibilities touch the lives of thousands of families, and whose leadership occupies an important place in the ongoing transformation of our health sector.
Happy Birthday to our amiable, distinguished and hardworking Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme!
Sir, birthdays are moments of reflection, gratitude and renewed commitment. As you mark another year of life, we celebrate not just the personality of the man but also the enormous responsibility you shoulder in a sector where every decision can influence the survival, dignity and wellbeing of human beings.
Healthcare is not just about constructing magnificent buildings. It is about the mother who survives childbirth, the child who receives timely treatment, the kidney patient who can afford dialysis, the accident victim who receives emergency attention and the elderly person who can access medical care without being pushed into financial hardship.
These are the human stories behind healthcare development.
Under the leadership of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, and through your stewardship at the Ministry of Health, Delta State has continued to record important developments in healthcare infrastructure, medical equipment, health insurance, manpower development and access to specialist services.
SOME REMARKABLE HEALTHCARE ACHIEVEMENTS AND INITIATIVES WORTHY OF RECOGNITION
1. Massive Investment in Primary Healthcare Development
The upgrading of 150 Primary Healthcare Centres in 2025 out of the state's 441 PHCs represents a significant intervention in grassroots healthcare delivery.
This is particularly important to rural communities where access to functional healthcare facilities can determine whether a patient receives treatment early or presents at the hospital when complications have already developed.
2. Expansion of Health Insurance Coverage to Millions of Deltans
One of the remarkable developments in the Delta State health sector is the expansion of the Delta State Contributory Health Scheme.
By October 2025, the scheme had enrolled approximately 2.73 million beneficiaries, representing 48.43% coverage.
This is an extraordinary step towards making healthcare more accessible and reducing the financial burden of medical treatment on families.
For a struggling family, health insurance can mean the difference between receiving treatment and abandoning medical care because of financial limitations.
3. Acquisition and Installation of Three Modern MRI Machines
Delta State's investment in three 1.5-Tesla MRI machines for Asaba Specialist Hospital, Central Hospital Warri and DELSUTH Oghara is a landmark development in advanced diagnostic healthcare.
With the machines installed across the three senatorial districts, patients can access advanced imaging services closer to home.
This is particularly important for the diagnosis and management of brain diseases, spinal conditions, cancers and other complex medical conditions.
4. Improved Kidney Care and Dialysis Services
The acquisition of eight haemodialysis machines for major public hospitals represents a significant intervention for patients living with kidney failure.
The establishment of a dialysis centre at Asaba Specialist Hospital and the expansion of dialysis services have strengthened the state's capacity to manage renal diseases.
Equally commendable is the reported reduction in dialysis charges from approximately ₦70,000 to ₦45,000 per session in some government facilities.
For patients requiring repeated dialysis, this reduction represents more than financial relief. It represents hope, dignity and an opportunity to continue living.
5. Installation of Modern CT Scan Machines
The provision of 32-slice and 64-slice CT scanners to Central Hospital Warri and DELSUTH Oghara is another important milestone.
These machines strengthen the diagnosis of stroke, traumatic injuries, brain abnormalities, cancers and other life-threatening conditions.
In emergency medicine, timely diagnosis can determine whether a patient survives or loses the opportunity for effective treatment.
6. Strengthening Intensive Care and Emergency Services
The installation of nine ventilators across four major hospitals, including Central Hospital Warri, Central Hospital Sapele, DELSUTH Oghara and Asaba Specialist Hospital, is an important investment in critical care.
The establishment of new Intensive Care Units at Central Hospital Warri and Central Hospital Sapele further strengthens the capacity of these institutions to manage critically ill patients.
These investments are particularly meaningful because intensive care is often the final line of defence for patients battling severe illnesses.
7. Recruitment of Over 700 Healthcare Personnel
The approval for the recruitment of more than 700 medical and non-medical personnel in 2026 is a significant development in addressing manpower shortages across the health sector.
This initiative is particularly important at a time when the migration of healthcare professionals continues to challenge health systems across Nigeria.
A hospital may have magnificent buildings and sophisticated equipment, but without doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, radiographers and other healthcare professionals, its capacity to save lives remains limited.
Strengthening the workforce is therefore an investment in the future of healthcare delivery.
8. Maternal and Child Healthcare Development
The development and completion efforts surrounding the 100-bed Mother and Child Hospital at Ekpan, alongside the broader maternal and child healthcare initiatives, deserve recognition.
The 2026 policy providing free healthcare services for pregnant women from antenatal care through delivery, including Caesarean section, and for children under five is another important intervention.
No woman should lose her life because she cannot afford the cost of childbirth. No child should be denied essential medical attention because the family cannot afford treatment.
These initiatives speak directly to the humanity of healthcare.
9. Development of Specialist Medical Facilities
The ongoing construction of the Osubi Specialist Hospital and the psychiatric hospital project represents an important expansion of specialist healthcare capacity.
The strengthening of oncology services and public health laboratory infrastructure also reflects the need to improve the state's capacity to manage complex diseases, conduct reliable investigations and respond effectively to public health challenges.
10. Development of Medical and Nursing Education
The establishment and strengthening of medical and health training institutions, including the College of Health Technology at Ovrode and the College of Medical Sciences at the University of Delta, Agbor, represent important investments in the future of the health workforce.
The expansion of nursing education infrastructure across Asaba, Eku and Sapele is equally significant.
A sustainable healthcare system must not only employ professionals; it must also train the next generation of competent healthcare providers.
11. Strengthening the Autonomy of Government Hospitals
The policy allowing state-owned hospitals to retain and utilise 100% of their internally generated revenue is another important administrative intervention.
This provides hospitals with greater flexibility to respond to operational needs, procure essential medicines, maintain equipment and improve service delivery.
12. Rehabilitation and Expansion of General Hospitals
The upgrading of General Hospital Warri to Central Hospital status and the ongoing rehabilitation and construction of facilities across different local government areas demonstrate a broader commitment to expanding access to secondary healthcare.
Projects at Orerokpe, Akwukwu-Igbo, Torugbene, Okuama, Oghior and other communities are important components of the state's healthcare infrastructure development.
13. Distribution of 25 Modern 4D Ultrasound Machines
The provision of 25 modern 4D ultrasound machines, intended to serve the 25 local government areas, represents another significant investment in diagnostic capacity.
This is particularly relevant to antenatal services, pregnancy monitoring and the early identification of certain abnormalities requiring further clinical assessment.
14. Improved Cardiovascular Diagnostic Services
The provision of echocardiography equipment, including the equipment supplied to DELSUTH, strengthens the capacity of public hospitals to investigate and manage cardiovascular diseases.
With hypertension and heart disease remaining major public health challenges, investments in early diagnosis are extremely important.
15. Strengthening Public Health and Disease Prevention
The continued attention to immunisation, disease surveillance, HIV and tuberculosis services, malaria control, health education and community-based interventions remains essential to improving health outcomes.
Healthcare development must go beyond treating patients in hospitals. It must also prevent diseases, promote healthier communities and protect vulnerable populations.
BEYOND THE STATISTICS: THE HUMAN LIVES BEHIND HEALTHCARE ACHIEVEMENTS
Sir, as medical practitioners, we understand that the true measure of healthcare development is not simply the number of hospitals constructed, equipment purchased or policies announced.
It is the number of lives protected.
It is the woman who would otherwise have died during childbirth but receives timely intervention.
It is the young man battling kidney failure who can now access more affordable dialysis.
It is the stroke patient whose condition can be investigated with modern diagnostic equipment.
It is the little child whose illness is treated before it becomes life-threatening.
It is the doctor who has the necessary equipment to make a diagnosis, the nurse who has the resources to provide quality care and the laboratory scientist who can perform investigations with reliable equipment.
These are the people whose lives give meaning to every healthcare investment.
As a medical doctor, I understand the emotional burden of watching patients and their relatives struggle with illnesses, financial limitations and inadequate medical resources.
I have seen the anxiety in the eyes of relatives waiting for a loved one to recover. I understand the silent prayers of mothers in labour, the uncertainty of patients awaiting investigation results and the sacrifices healthcare professionals make every day.
This is why every meaningful investment in healthcare deserves recognition.
And this is why your birthday provides an opportunity to celebrate the responsibility, commitment and leadership associated with your office.
A MESSAGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND GREATER EXPECTATIONS
Sir, while we celebrate the achievements recorded so far, we equally encourage you to sustain the momentum.
May the coming years bring even greater attention to the welfare of doctors and other healthcare workers, timely payment of entitlements, improved working conditions, recruitment and retention of medical professionals, functional rural hospitals, uninterrupted availability of essential medicines and improved emergency medical services.
May the remaining gaps in our health system receive the attention they deserve.
May every local government area in Delta State enjoy access to functional primary healthcare, and may every Deltan, irrespective of social or financial status, have access to quality and affordable medical services.
The dream of a healthcare system where no Deltan is denied treatment because of poverty is a worthy dream that deserves our collective commitment.
OUR BIRTHDAY PRAYER
On this special occasion, we pray that Almighty God grants you excellent health, renewed strength, uncommon wisdom, divine protection and greater accomplishments.
May He guide your decisions, strengthen your capacity for leadership and grant you the grace to continue contributing meaningfully to the development of our dear state.
May your years ahead be filled with greater achievements, lasting impact and the satisfaction that comes from knowing that your service has helped improve human lives.
May history remember you not merely as a Commissioner who occupied an important office, but as a medical professional and public servant who contributed to building a stronger, more accessible and more compassionate healthcare system.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIR!
Today, we celebrate the man, appreciate the service and recognise the responsibility.
May your new age usher in greater accomplishments for you, your family and the entire Delta State healthcare community.
Long live Dr. Joseph Onojaeme!
Long live the Delta State healthcare workforce!
Long live Delta State!
With profound respect, appreciation and warm birthday wishes.
SIGNED:
DR. CHIDI FIDELIS
Public Relations Officer (PRO)
NAGGMDP, DELTA STATE
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