By Ademola Orubon
Ogun State Government is determined to ensure optimal health care for all citizens by revitalising the service delivery in all primary health facilities, to ensure quality services are delivered to the people, irrespective of their location in the State.
Wife of the State Governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun, stated this during the flag-off ceremony of the 2019/2020 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW), held at Odeda Primary Health Care, Odeda Local Government Area, saying this would be achieved through renovation, equipping and staffing, with a flagship facility per ward, as qualified health personnel would be employed at these centers to address the shortage of staff being experienced over the years.
Mrs. Abiodun noted that the regular campaigns of MNCHW was paramount at ensuring progress in children’s right to good health care, as well as improving the well-being of the family, especially pregnant women and under-five children.
In her remark, Commissioner-designate, Ministry of Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, urged mothers and caregivers to avail their children and wards the opportunity of the various health interventions that had been specially designed to address maternal and child mortality reduction rate, noting that it would go a long way at ensuring that the State continued to improve on the National Demographic Health Survey.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Ayinde Adesanya, explained that the State would continue to ensure availability of potent vaccines and other health packages, adding that health personnel had been trained to improve on service delivery.
Contributing, the Executive Secretary, Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola, said 0-59 months’ children would be reached, highlighting some of the health packages and services to include, Vitamin A supplementation for children 6 – 59 months; de-worming of all children from 12 months to 59 months; screening under- five children for malnutrition.
He added that routine immunization for eligible children 0-11months and mothers; growth monitoring and promotion; HIV/AIDS counseling and services, as well as distribution of Long Lasting Insecticidal Treated Nets, to all under-5 children and pregnant women, who register during the week.
According to Ogunsola, other interventions included, antenatal care registration (including immunization and IPT administration for pregnant women); promotion of key household practices, such as hand washing and basic hygiene, provision of family planning services to women and men of child-bearing age, while birth registration for children age 0-5 years, would be conducted by National Population Commission.
In their separate goodwill messages, the representative, World Health Organisation, Dr. Sunday Abidoye, the State Coordinator, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Olatunde Odebiyi and the representative, United Nations Children Emergency Fund, Mrs. Florence Molokwu, while commending the State Government in ensuring that the exercise was carried out, enjoined mothers and caregivers present to inform others in their various communities to bring their children and wards for vaccination, as the exercise would not be the usual house to house visitation by health workers.
Earlier in her address, the Head of Local Government Administration, Odeda, Local Government, Mrs. Bola Oshin, appreciated the State government for various health programmes and interventions, which he said, had improved the overall wellbeing of the citizenry.
The week is scheduled to hold from Monday, January 13 through Friday, January 17, 2020, across the 20 Local Government in the state.
