Health care: Cross River seeks closer collaboration with USAID

The Government or Cross River State has restated its desire to closely collaborate with the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, in order to achieve the Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Commissioner for health, Dr Henry Egbe Ayuk disclosed this when the USAID team visited him in his office in Calabar.

He assured them of Gov Bassey Otu’s administration’s commitment to providing a conducive environment for sustainable and impactful partnership.

“We will work with you. We shall be very demanding. We want to know what your targets are, argue about them in order to find common ground.

“We want to make a difference; and it has to come from you, my dear colleagues. Our relationship should be performance based,” the Commissioner stated.

Ayuk also implored the partners to ensure upscale of healthcare services, improve private sector participation, boost general hospitals services, as well as attract funding that would engender Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the State.

Speaking on behalf of the USAID team, Umana Joe, the State Director of Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECEWS), described the existing relationship between the State and Implementing Partners as excellent.

They assured of their continuous support to critical areas of need, especially in healthcare development.

“Be rest assured of our USAID Implementing Partners’ collaboration with Cross River State,” he stated, while also promising remediation of catchment areas of service.