Kwara State Government has begun intensive surveillance and screenings at its land borders and the Ilorin International Airports to check the spread of Lassa fever into the state, calling on the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious cases at the nearest health centres.
Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq State Governor, gave the directive according to the state commissioner for health, Raji Razaq.
“We are working with the port health authorities to ensure that any foreigner or travellers coming to Kwara State is screened before entering the state,” state Health Commissioner told journalists in Ilorin.
According to Razaq, government has also completed the construction of an isolation centre and activated State Epidemic Preparedness and Response, Rapid Response Teams and Incident Command System at the Kwara State Emergency Operation Centre to coordinate any outbreak of the disease currently ravaging some states.
He says: “The disease has remained a public health challenge and has affected some states. We do not have any case in Kwara but it is important to be prepared.
“We have also designated an isolation centre for Lassa fever clinical management in Sobi Specialist Hospital, Ilorin and make available response commodities and medicines.”
Razaq urged residents of the state to adopt regular hand washing, proper cleaning of surroundings and household items, as he also called on residents of the state to keep their food items in good and hygienic conditions.
The Commissioner equally encouraged residents to eliminate rats in their homes and communities as well as desist from using bare hands to touch the trapped rats.
Razaq promised that the state would continue to sensitise all health workers to have high index of suspicion and adhere strictly to standard precautions while providing care to the patients.
Meanwhile, the wife of the state Governor Olufolake Abdulrazaq, has advocated a Universal health coverage system in the state.
The Governor’s wife had while speaking when she met the Chairman, Kwara State House of Assembly Committee on Health, Razaq Owolabi, Commissioner for Health, Raji Razaq, Officials of the State Health Insurance Agency and EXARO Enterprise Solutions- the consortium handling the Kwara State Universal Health coverage, says “the programme is aimed at steming the tide of neonatal and maternal mortality rate.”
Introducing the team and giving a background information about the Universal Health coverage, Owolabi explained that “the initiative was borne out of the government’s effort to look into the issue of the health scheme for the benefit of kwarans.”
The Commissioner for Health, Raji Razaq commended the Governor’s wife for her proactive steps towards improving health service delivery, urging her husband to champion the roll out campaign for the Universal Healthcare Coverage.
Olubunmi Jetawo-Winter, the Executive Secretary of the State Health Insurance Agency, posited that efforts were ongoing for full implementation of the Insurance Scheme in the state.
Jetawo-Winter explained that the visit to the Office of the Governor’s wife is to give a progress report on the activities carried out by the agency and the consortium-EXARO.
Giel Niekerl, the team leader of the EXARO company, introduced the company and areas of coverage to implement their scope of work.
Niekerl, highlighted other states where the company is presently operating and assured the Governor’s wife of quality service delivery.
SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin
