The Enugu State government has reassured her readiness to ensure that no child under the age of five or pregnant woman die of preventable diseases in the state.
Governor Sullivan Chime who stated this at the flag-off of the state maternal, newborn and child health week(MNCHW) at the Enugu South Local Government Area of the state promised to meet with the MDG 4 and 5 before 2015 dead line.
Chime who was represented by George Eze, his commissioner for health, emphasised that the era where children died of preventable diseases was gone and called on nursing mothers and pregnant women to key into the state free health care programme to ensure the survival of pregnant women and children under-five years of age.
“Today’s programme is to prove a point that the state government is very passionate about health and health related matters most especially our new born children and women who produced them,” he stated.
According to him the state government is insisting that no woman should die while trying to deliver and that was why the government embarked on total renovation of all the health centres in the state, saying that a lot of money has been voted for district hospitals and is also addressing the challenges facing the workers to motivate them.
The national primary healthcare development agency donated drugs worth over N3.5m to the state for onward distribution to all the 17 local government in the state.
Each carton of the drug contains drugs for children and pregnant women such as Ferous, Folic acid, tabs primethamine plus Sulphadoxine, Ijection Ergrometrin and injection oxytocin.
Handing over the drugs to the ministry of health, the consultant special grade, Director – coordinator of national primary healthcare development agency zones, Dorathy Nwodo wife of former governor of the state, commended the state government for meeting up with the requirement in promoting and encouraging health programmes in the state.
“Enugu state government has contributed N21.5m for the maternal, newborn and health week so they are collaborating with us in the highest level,” she noted.
In a goodwill message by Charles Nzuki, UNICEF’s assistant representative , saying that UNICEF is pleased with the maternal, newborn and child health week endorsed by National Council of Health (NCH).
Nzuki who’s message came through Oluwa Tosi Kuti, OIC UNICEF A field, said that his organisation was delighted by the level of commitment shown by government in the delivering of better health outcomes for children and women.
Regis Anukwuoji
