Governor Directs Health Ministry

By Rosemary Nwaebuni
Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, has directed the state ministry of Health and State Primary Health Care Development Agency to intensify routine immunization in the state to ensure that the state remains polio free and forestall outbreak of any child killer disease in the state.
He gave this directive while flagging off the first quarterly polio eradication/sensitization campaign for 2013 at Oharisi Primary School, Ughelli, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the State.
Uduaghan stated that the only way polio can totally be eradicated as well as preventing outbreak of childhood killer diseases from the state is by shoring up routine immunization.
He called on local government councils, traditional rulers, religious leaders and all stakeholders to collaborate with the state government in the fight for total eradication of polio in the state by mobilizing parents to ensure proper immunization of their children.
The Governor, who noted that polio thrives in unhygienic environment, admonished parents to ensure proper hygiene culture and called on the Waste Management Board and local government authorities to take seriously the issues of proper disposal of refuse.
While interacting with parents who brought their children for immunization, he admonished parents to ensure proper and adequate immunization of their children and to properly record their immunization schedules.
He also admonished fathers to collaborate with their wives for proper immunization and other health care needs of their children.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Otumara, in his remark, noted that sensitization campaigns constitute one of the strategies for improving polio vaccination coverage of children between ages zero to 59 months on the efforts towards the eradication of the crippling poliomyelitis infection.
Otumara commended the governor for his personal commitment and strong leadership in the polio eradication drive as well as his support for routine immunization, adding that this has resulted in the state being free of polio infection for the past three years.
He stated that the measures put in place by the state through the state ministry of health and state primary health care development agency to sustain this trend, should be further strengthened now, more than ever.
Transition Committee Chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Area, Chief Friday Akpoyibo, called on all stakeholders in the health sector and parents to embrace wholeheartedly, the new drive towards polio eradication in the society by taking advantage of the various immunization programmes of the state.
Dr. (Mrs.) Lilian Okpako, Permanent Secretary, State Primary Health care Development Agency,  thanked the governor for his various health care policies that have helped to ameliorate the sufferings of the people and change the health status of the state.