Oborevwori’s Health Investments to Curb Delta’s N100bn Medical Export – Onojaeme

The massive investment by the Delta State Government in high-end medical equipment is expected to significantly reduce the over N100 billion reportedly spent annually by Deltans on medical services outside the state and abroad.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, disclosed this on the sidelines of the Delta State Economic and Investment Summit 2026 held at the Events Centre, Asaba.

Onojaeme said the acquisition and deployment of advanced diagnostic equipment by the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori had strengthened the state’s capacity to provide specialised healthcare services that previously forced many residents to seek treatment outside Delta.
He specifically identified the recently commissioned Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines at Asaba Specialist Hospital, Central Hospital, Warri, and Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, as major interventions capable of reducing medical tourism from the state.

According to the commissioner, the investments would not only improve access to sophisticated diagnostic services but also help retain substantial financial resources within Delta by reducing the number of patients travelling to other parts of the country and overseas for treatment.
He said the state’s growing capacity to provide high-end medical services was part of the administration’s broader efforts to improve healthcare delivery and strengthen key health performance indicators.

“The investment of His Excellency, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, in high-end medical equipment, like the MRI that has just started working at Asaba Specialist Hospital, the one at Central Hospital, Warri, and the one at Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, will reduce the medical export we are doing in the state,” Onojaeme said.

The commissioner, however, stressed that government alone could not shoulder the entire burden of healthcare investment, calling on the private sector to invest in complementary areas of the health system.
“The medical equipment cannot be done by the state government alone. The investment in the medical sector cannot be done by the state government alone. We need the private sector to come into other areas that they need to invest in to help improve the key performance indicators in the state,” he said.

Onojaeme said the impact of the government’s interventions was already being reflected in the state’s health outcomes, particularly in maternal healthcare.
He disclosed that maternal mortality in Delta State had declined from about 120 deaths per 100,000 live births to below 100 deaths per 100,000 live births.

The commissioner maintained that healthcare performance should not be measured merely by the number of hospitals or other physical infrastructure provided, but by measurable improvements in the health and survival of citizens.
“In the health sector, it is not about infrastructure. It is not measured by infrastructure; it is measured by some key performance indicators like maternal mortality and under-five mortality rate,” he said.

He added that sustained government investment, coupled with increased private-sector participation, would further strengthen Delta’s healthcare system, reduce medical tourism and position the state as a destination for specialised healthcare services.