The Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Rilwan Mohammed, said residents of the state were shunning tests.

According to him, testing now based on request because people have not been coming for it, “We are supposed to have been doing community testing but we are no longer doing it.

“The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) gave us support on the laboratory aspect, but unfortunately, people do not want to do the testing and there are no cases.

“We have reagents now because the NCDC brings them to us but the problem we have sometimes is lack of diesel to power generators, but the governor is supporting us in that regard,” Dr Rilwan said.

Rilwan also lamented that bank officials in the state refused to be vaccinated.

Bank officials, except the Central Bank of Nigeria, refused to receive the vaccination. Almost all the people in banks refused to take the vaccination and that is a big problem.

Kano State said it has recorded no fewer than 169 deaths in the state, following the outbreak of cholera that affected 41 out of the 44 local government areas of the state.

This was disclosed by the Kano State Director of Public Health, Dr. Ashiru Rajab, on Thursday.

Rajab explained that the casualties were recorded within the last three months in the state.

“A total of 5,221 persons were affected by the disease, while about 4,860 had so far been treated and discharged.

” 191 affected persons are currently receiving treatment in various health facilities across the state.

“We have recorded 5,221 cases in the last three months. About 4,860 were treated and discharged. Currently, we have 191 active cases in different facilities across the state, while 169 deaths were recorded across 41 LGAs of the state,” he said.

The Ministry of Health has embarked on the vaccination of 50,000 people against hepatitis in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, South-south Nigeria.

The Commissioner for Health in Cross River State, Dr. Betta Edu, while flagging-off the vaccination exercise in Akamkpa council area, said that the government with the support of a non-governmental agency plans to vaccinate 50,000 people against hepatitis.

Edu stated that the vaccination was to reduce the prevalence rate of hepatitis B and C in Cross River.

“The prevalence of Hepatitis B and C are 8.8% and 1.1% respectively in Cross River. Over 16.2 million people in Nigeria are living with Hepatitis B and 2.2 million with Hepatitis C viruses”, she said.

Free Screening

According to Edu, most of those infected are unaware of their status and that informed the commencement of the screening and vaccination of citizens against the viruses since Monday.

“Our intention is to completely eliminate the hepatitis viruses through vaccinations. So, we are conducting free screening across the Calabar metropolis and in Akamkpa. While the vaccination of the rural people is free, those in the state capital pay a token of one thousand naira for the vaccines.

“I am satisfied with the turnout of people for the screening and vaccination especially around major motor parks and markets in Calabar. We are sure that we will reach these numbers of persons with the vaccines,” the Commissioner stated.

Contact tracing

Edu explained that the ministry would compile the contact of those vaccinated in the first phase so as to enable them access the second and third phases of vaccination for complete immunity against the virus.

She said “the hepatitis vaccines are to be given in three phases. All those taking this first dose would be contacted for the second and third doses in an interval of one month so that they get absolute immunity. We are committed to ensure that these ones complete their vaccines.”

Transmission

On the way the hepatitis virus is contacted, Edu said “Hepatitis can be spread through contact with body fluids, unprotected sex, sharing sharp objects and sometimes communal sharing of toothbrushes. We must discourage sharing of toothbrushes in households or amongst friends because that is one major ways members of a particular household can infect one another with the virus.”

She urged health workers, traditional, religious and youth leaders as well as the media to collaborate with the ministry to sensitize the people on the hepatitis viruses and need to protect themselves and their loved ones through immunity provided by the vaccines.

Supervising the vaccination of people at the Etim Edem motor park in Calabar, the State Focal Person for Hepatitis, Ekaette Obase said that the weeklong vaccination started with a thanksgiving service and screening and vaccination of church members on Sunday.

She urged the people to avail themselves of these vaccines and be protected, noting “mothers can transmit the virus to unborn children and it is easy for the virus to be spread through deep kissing, even sweat on the body of an infected person touching on another can get that person infected.”

Symptoms

Obase said “some of the symptoms a person with hepatitis has include very high fever, yellow coloured eyes, and dark urine. The stool will be changed, liver also affected and the person would have an extended abdomen including swollen legs. It is a very dangerous infection. So, I am encouraging everyone to come out to know their status by getting tested and if you are negative, there is vaccine for you because prevention is better than cure.”

“The best way to prevent hepatitis is through vaccination; it is the excellent way of prevention. The vaccination is in three doses and it is a cover for life. Within three months a person would have this cover for life,” she added

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Federal Capital Territory Chapter has provided free medical services to residents of Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory Council FCT, Abuja.
The two-day free medical outreach which was carried out at Dabibakon Primary Health Center Kwali, is part of the activities to mark the beginning of the association’s Annual General Meeting.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, the Chairman of NMA, FCT chapter Dr. Enema Amodu said the aim is to provide medical services to the underserved communities as a way of giving back to the society.

“We are gathered in our numbers to provide specialist care and service to indigenes of the society instead of going to cities we choose remotes localities where health care is scare and people are unable to come city centre access or afford medical services “. Dr Amodu started.

He also noted that from the proceeds of the association’s contributions and donations from partners, funds were raised to provide the humanitarian services.

“We attended to as many people as possible. We have gotten support from the Chairman of Kwali Area Council, Diagnostic, partners and contributions from members to gather funds to basically ensure that those drugs and consumables are available” he said

He disclosed that some of the services rendered include surgical procedures, Ear Node and Throat, ENT, services, chemical, ophthalmology, pathology, general surgery services, and all sort of medical specialist services as the need arises.

On the issues of cholera in the FCT, The Chairman expressed worry over the speed and increase cases in the FCT also stressed the need for government, medical specialists and other stakeholders to show political will.

“Just like what we are doing here, this will go a long way to solve the problem that is to curtail the spread of cholera. The key solution to end the spread is the provision of potable water, sanitation facilities and awareness programmes for residents of communities”. He added.

Mrs. Esther Simiri, a Nurse and Midwife who spoke on behalf of the Matron of Dabibakon Primary Health Center Kwali, applauded members of the association for their generosity through the free medical assistance render to residents of the communities.

She however, decried the dilapidated state of the center and the short fall of medical staff for a population of about 100 people who visit the Health Center every day and appealed for assistance for the renovations of the center and increase in manpower to carter for the residents of the communities.

Some of the residents, who spoke with Voice of Nigeria, thanked and expressed delight over the kind gesture by the NMA, and appealed for more medical interventions.

The Dabibakon Primary Health Center Kwali, which has about twenty four medical personals provides services for six communities; Da Bako, Checheyi, Bobota Peyo and Leleyi with an average of hundred patience who visit the facility daily for medical treatment.

The Ogun State government is calling for collaboration between the private sector and government in order to develop Nigerian health care sector with a view to reducing medical tourism.

The state Governor, Dapo Abiodun, equally called for huge investment in the health sector to reduce importation of medial consumables, which according to him, would help Nigeria save its foreign exchange.

Abiodun made the call at the official commissioning of the Med-In Pharmaceutical Limited, an intravenous fluid manufacturing company, Sagamu, Ogun State.

The Governor described the establishment of the medical company as another veritable investment in the health sector, noting it would go a long way in reducing importation of medical consumables.

While commending Med-In Pharmaceuticals for expanding its facility from 400 to 4,000 capacity intravenous fluid manufacturing per hour, Abiodun said his administration would continue to put measures in place to enhance ease of doing business in Ogun.

He noted further that existing businesses in the state have continued to thrive and new ones are being attracted, to increase the socio-economic development of the state.

The Governor said that one of the major indices for a developing economy is the health status of its people, reiterating that his administration would continue to initiate necessary policies and programmes towards providing efficient and effective health-care for the people.

Governor Abiodun, disclosed that his administration had begun to connect healthcare centres in the state to the broadband internet in order to leverage on the ICT for centralized Health Records Management System.

This, according to him, would help in the development of reliable database on healthcare system and telemedicine.

In his remarks, the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, noted that the commissioning of the pharmaceutical plant was an opportunity to improve on the demand and supply in the health sector, declaring that Nigeria has to be less vulnerable to market forces.

In his remarks, the Nigerian Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, commended the investment which he termed as a “bold one” at this time, noting that the plant was a significant addition to the pharmaceutical assets of Nigeria.

Dr. Ehanire, who pointed out that Nigeria, was striving hard like other countries of the world to rebuild her economy, viewed the establishment and expansion of the pharmaceutical plant as a tool of providing primary and secondary employment for the people.

The Managing Director of the Company, Tola Awosika, thanked Ogun state Governor Abiodun for the role he played to ensure that the company got another land when it was asked to leave its previous site by the immediate past administration, even while he was yet to become governor.

Awosika explained that the company apart from expanding from its production capacity, also planned to venture into intravenous medication.