By Flowerbudnews
The Enugu State Government has advocated optimal health of its residents to grow the state Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and economy from about $4 billion to $30 billion.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ikechukwu Obi, said this in Enugu on Tuesday during the launch of a health book, titled: “Long, Healthy and Happy Living: Key Lifestyle Paths”, written by Prof. Eddy Ndibuagu.
Obi said that the state government had been making massive investments in education and health to ensure an educated, healthy and productive population that would drive the vision of expanding the state’s economy.
“What we are doing here today is health education and promotion, which is necessary to equip our people with the necessary knowledge on how to live and maintain a healthy life-style beneficial to all.
“We have invested massively in health, by ongoing construction of 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres, international health facilities and expanding existing health facilities and programmes.
“The state government is pursuing a vision to make the state a healthcare hub and number one destination for health tourism attraction in Africa.
“All these investments and more are to ensure we have a healthy, energetic and productive population to drive a prosperous Enugu State of our dream,” he said.
Dr Martin Chukwunweike, the Chairman of the occasion and Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Enugu State, urged every household in the state to pick a copy of the book as a guide to pathway to healthy living.
The book reviewer, Dr Emeka Ogbuabor, said that the “book is a must read for younger and aging population as it X-rays best and beneficial healthy life-style tips that is workable for all.”
Ogbuabor, who is former Chairman, House Committee on Health, Enugu State House of Assembly, noted that the book, written in simple English, was well-researched, referenced and based on clinical facts.
“The book will push us to take a healthy life path and ensure we avoid some mistakes in our lifestyles,” Ogbuabor, who is also a former Head, Department of Health Administration and Management, University of Nigeria, said.
He noted that the 12 chapters and 206 pages book contained interesting chapters, which included: Overview of Key Lifestyle Paths; Good Nutrition, Adequate Physical Activities; Avoidance of Harmful Substances and Avoidance of Drug Misuse.
Others are: Scheduled health Status Checkup; Coping with Stress; Sufficient and Quality Sleep; Healthy Relationships and Social Connections; Deliberately Staying off Risky Habits, Behaviours and Practices; Safety in the Home and Safety at Workplace.
Elaborating, the Author of the book, Prof. Eddy Ndibuagu, a Professor of Public Health Medicine, said that he was motivated to write the book due to Gov. Peter Mbah’s vision to make healthcare a top priority in Enugu State.
“His Excellency the Governor was invited to the occasion in recognition of his landmark achievements in the health sector. The Governor was invited as the Chief Guest of Honour and Chief Health Promoter,” Ndibuagu said.
According to him, Gov. Mbah achievements in the health sector included the establishment of model Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres in all the 260 political wards in Enugu State.
“This is a giant stride that will transform healthcare delivery in the state as well as bring promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative healthcare services to the doorsteps of all.
“There is massive infrastructural transformation of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Teaching Hospital, and recruitment of qualified health workers; thus, making the hospital an outstanding health institution in the area of tertiary healthcare delivery.
“Establishment of an international hospital in Enugu, designated for quaternary healthcare services. This will greatly reduce the number of Nigerians that seek healthcare outside the country; thus, conserving the much-needed foreign exchange,” he said.
Ndibuagu, who is serving with ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, noted that within his 37 years in medical practice he had observed that people die due to lack of information on healthy living.
“Many people engage in so many things that they do not know are injurious to their health and they adopt it as a lifestyle and it eventually kills them.
“Incidences of non communicable diseases, which emanate more from people’s personal life-style, are getting rampant among residents within developing and low income countries.
“We needed to educate our people on how best to live and get the best out of life and live longer and healthier,” Ndibuagu, who is also an online health life coach, said.
The author said that he was planning to have the book online on Amazon so that everyone in the world, especially developing countries should have it, read it and put into practice use it messages.
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Established by Hon. Biola Lawal, a former Acting Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), FLOWERBUDNEWS is a consortium of active veteran journalists, experienced Multimedia broadcast experts and image makers. We are drawn from both public and private sectors of Nigeria’s media Industry with a common determination to enhance the practice of responsible journalism.
Lawal, on his part, is also a former Honourable Commissioner for Information,Youth, Sports and Culture of Osun state, his home state.
Biola Lawal had also successfully served two tenures as Press Secretary to the ECOMOG Force Commander in Liberia during the Liberian and Sierra Leone Civil wars. He was an outstanding NAN Defence and War Correspondent for many years.
The retired NAN Acting Boss holds the honour of being the only journalist that served two terms on the ECOMOG international assignment due to his high professionalism and decency.
He is a Co-Author of the book; ECOMOG, A BOLD ATTEMPT AT REGIONAL PEACEKEEPING! Edited Mrs Magaret Voght. The book remains the most. factual, detailed and authentic book on the ECOWAS sponsored ECOMOG Military operation.
