Respite For Sickle Cell Patients, As Delta Assembly Passes Bill

People especially Deltans living with sickle cell anemia, would soon have a breath of relief following the passage of the Delta State Sickle Cell Centre Bill by the State House of Assembly.

The passage of the Bill at Tuesday, plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, followed a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Hon. Tim Owhefere and was adopted.

The House had resolved into a committee of the whole to continue the consideration of the report of the Hon. Alphonsus Ojo led House Committee on health which scrutinized the Bill.

The Speaker Rt. Hon. Oborevwori, said that members went through the Bill painstakingly with explanations, contributions and amendments made.

The Speaker thanked members for the passage of the Bill, saying that it would create awareness on the Sickle Cell disease and how best to avoid it as well as help Deltans live healthier.

Speaking on the passage of the Bill, the Chairman, House Committee on Health Hon. Alphonsus Ojo, representing Ukwuani state constituency, said, the Bill when signed into law would help provide a centre primarily for the education, awareness, treatment and care of sickle cell sufferers.

Hon. Ojo who is a co-sponsor of the private member Bill noted that over 60 per cent of sickle cell sufferers die before the age of 18 years though it is preventable but not curable.

The lawmaker said the Bill would provide support for patients, stressing that the wife of the state governor and Founder, 05 Initiative, Dame Edith Okowa, had done much by building Sickle Cell Centers in different local government areas across the state to assist persons with the disease get treatment and education.

Hon. Ojo who represents Ukwuani constituency in the House said the Bill when it becomes operational would also create employment as a centre and a Board would be set up and personnel engaged, adding that it would have a Chairman and three members, one each from the three senatorial districts.

The Delta State Sickle Cell Centre Bill is for a law for the establishment of a center vested with powers to collect, coordinate and distribute data, best practices and findings regarding the programs.