Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has received an award from the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) in recognition of what the union described as significant improvements in healthcare delivery and workers’ welfare.

The award was presented on Wednesday at the Government House in Enugu by the union’s leadership, representing its state council.

MHWUN cited ongoing infrastructure projects, including the construction of 260 primary healthcare centres across the state’s wards and the near completion of a 300-bed international hospital. It also referenced upgrades to secondary health facilities.

The union said the state government had fully implemented the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) and approved related salary adjustments, measures it said had improved morale among health workers. It added that more than 2,500 personnel had been recruited to address staff shortages, alongside continued training programmes.

It also highlighted regular salary payments, expanded immunisation coverage, and improved maternal and child health services.

Governor Mbah said his administration had prioritised healthcare and education, allocating more than half of the state’s budget to both sectors over the past three years.

He said the government was focused on strengthening primary healthcare to reduce maternal and child mortality, adding that additional funding had been approved to equip more facilities.

“We are investing heavily because a healthy population is critical to economic growth,” he said.

The governor also said work was ongoing at several state-owned medical institutions and hospitals to improve service delivery.

He dedicated the award to his team and said it would encourage further efforts.

In response to concerns raised by the union, the governor also donated a bus to support its operations.