Obiano Directs Revamping Of General Hospitals

By Emeka Ozumba

The Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano has ordered the immediate revamping and equipment of General Hospitals in State with facilities to make them more effective and ensure they provide Medicare levels currently available in Mission Hospitals across the state. The Governor gave the directive to the Hon Commission of Health Dr. Joe Akabuike at the Flag-off of the May 2014 Maternal, New born and Child Health Week (MNCHW) for children aged 6 to 59 months at Nibo, Anambra State over the weekend.

Governor Obiano pledged to ensure the extension of health services to all nooks and crannies of Anambra State to reach the poor, vulnerable and down trodden in furtherance of the administration's policy thrust on health. On measures already taken by government Obiano said, 'my administration has shown commitment and the greatest support for primary health care and disease control. We have instituted preventive and control measures against the outbreak of diseases like Lassa fever, Cerebral Meningitis, cholera, diarrhea and vomiting etc.'

According to Obiano, 'support for immunization will be sustained, and we will ensure that the gains made in the area of public health and immunization will be sustained and even surpassed. Already 15 percent of the General Hospitals in the state are provided with free and safe pre-natal and post-natal services.'


The Governor Obiano observed that the interventions have over the past six years reached over one million children and 300,000 pregnant women with antigens and intervention. Also various pluses, sops, albendazoles tablets iron foliate tablets, biscuits, cups, bowls, were given to children and mothers as motivation just over 60,000 tablets of soaps, 500,000 tablets of albendazol, 500,0000 tablets of iron foliate and 100,0000 packets of biscuits were distributed during each programme.

He confirmed that the state government had participated in all national programmes including advocacy campaigns in the last six years, including Immunization Plus Days, Integrates Measles Campaigns, State Immunization [Plus Days, LOCAL Immunization, Local Immunization Plus Days, Maternal New Born and Child Health Weeks as well as Governors Forum One day quarterly Polio Eradication Campaign CTIVITES.

Expressing gratitude with the government's partners including UNICEF, World Bank, World Health Organization, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Media and other line ministries, the Governor said that the use of MNCHW as a periodic preventive routine outreach mechanism had shown internationally to improve immunization coverage and other services.

Obiano explained that the 53rd session of the National Council of Health at Asaba in 2010 approved a bi-annual Maternal, New born and Child Health to be organized in all the states including Anambra and All the local government areas of the federation in May/June and November/December every year.

He said the state would through the exercise achieve the immunization for both children and pregnant women, with all antigens, vitamin C distribution, birth preparedness and complication readiness for pregnant women, nutrition screening and counseling for malnourished children and mothers, and pregnant mothers with all antigens, vitamin C distribution, birth preparedness and complication readiness.

Others he said included nutrition screening and counseling for malnourished children and mothers, provision of family planning commodities, management of common childhood illnesses, long lasting insecticides treated nets and SPs to pregnant malaria in pregnant women, de-worming of children birth registration and health education or key household practices(hand washing and exclusive beast feeding.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Akabuike said Governor Obiano's intervention in the area of health is working stressing that the state was moving towards the direction of medical tourism to attract visitors on health ground and boost the state economy given the prevalent sanity and adequate conducive security situation in the state.

The Maternal and New Born Health Week is a programme aimed at addressing an integrated package of promotion and preventive services that is highly cost effective and result oriented. A highlight of the event was the immunization of children in turn by the governor and his wife at the venue.




Governor Of Anambra State, His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano And The First Lady, Her Excellency, Chief (Mrs) Ebelechukwu Obiano Being Shown Round The Exhibition Stand By The Anambra State Immunization Officer, Mr Umeh Daniel, During The Flag-Off Of Immunization At Nibo, Anambra State Today