Ebonyi to spend N1.8 bn on primary health care – Umahi

The Ebonyi Government says it will spend N1.8billion to boost primary health care under the Save One Million Lives Programme for Result Initiative of the Federal Government. Gov. Dave Umahi announced this at Ezillo, Ishielu Local Government Area, at the launching of the first round of the 2017 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW). The governor represented by Dr Eric Kelechi-Igwe, the deputy governor, said that the administration was committed to providing qualitative health care. 

According to him, boosting primary health care delivery in the state is critical for the enhancement of the welfare, wellbeing and improving the general health status of every citizen of the state. He urged nursing mothers, pregnant women and care givers to avail themselves of the opportunity to get their children immunised against the major six child killer-disease as well as safeguard the lives of the unborn child. Umahi said that polio and other child killer-diseases had been eradicated, while some had been reduced to the barest minimum through many interventions. The governor urged health managers to streamline the health reporting system to reflect the present reality, noting that Ebonyi eradicated polio virus since 2009. ”The Maternal, New Born and Child Health Care services is aimed at complementing the efforts of the Ministry of Health in the provision of sound and qualitative health care delivery to our citizens. “This government places much premium on primary health care delivery and has made several interventions in the area, including equipping the 171 Primary Health Care Development Centres for improved service delivery. “We urge our mothers especially the nursing and pregnant mothers to take advantage of the week to vaccinate their children, between zero and 59 months while pregnant women should immunize to secure the lives of the unborn children. “We commend the efforts of our development partners for their continued support and assistance in this regard, “Umahi said. Earlier, Dr Daniel Umezuruike, the Commissioner for Health, said that the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Care Initiative, under the Save One Million Lives programme, were put in place to reduce child and maternal mortality. He said that the programme was among key decisions reached at the 53rd National Council on Health (NCH) held in 2010 in Asaba. According to him, the programme is aimed at getting children and women of reproductive age immunised against the killer diseases, educate nursing mothers on importance of exclusive breastfeeding, among others. He said that under the first round, 124, 900 children would be immunised against polio virus, and 588,908 against night blindness.