*Rebuild Calabar: USAID GHSC-PSM Country Director, Axions west Africa Regional Director visit Calabar to fix EDP Complex and Drug store*

Condemns Vandalisation of EDP Drug Store and Warehouse in Calabar by hoodlums.

As part of the Cross River State Rebuilding plan to recover revamp and improve services in vandalized Health Institutions, the Relentless Commissioner for Health Dr Betta Edu has reached out to Development partners to support the rebuilding of health institutions that were vandalized and looted in Calabar. The USAID GHSC-PSM project in Nigeria and the Global Fund/Chemonics project (collectively GHSC PSM), and Axion west Africa Head, during their solidarity visit to Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu over the recent Vandalisation of the State Essential Drug Program (EDP) warehouse and Cold store at Barracks Road Calabar decried the high level of destruction in the state EDP complex, warehouse and drug store.

The Country Director GHSC-PSM, Mike Egboh disclosed that he has high trust in the Commissioner For Health Dr Edu and the State Government who has taken the lead to ensure that stakeholders and other developmental partners come together to quickly fix up the warehouse and chart a new course for Cross River State health sector.

"its in the best interest for us to continue services for the benefit of people in Cross River and beyond without undue delay of supply chain activities to ensure uninterrupted supply of commodities to the last mile to health facilities for self-reliance, thus we will support the Cross River state Government in every way possible as soon as possible; he said the esteemed cost of looted HIV and other drugs was about 2.1m dollars.

Egboh called for the commercialisation of the State Warehouse to ease pressure of funding and strengthen self reliance. He advised the State to look beyond the immediate challenges and plan a healthcare system for the next 50 years that even unborn generation will benefit from, noting that the present challenges will soon be over!

Responding, Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu thanked USAID GHSC-PSM and visiting team for their support in the past years. According to her the warehouse which was recently renovated by state Government to support essential drug program but was destroyed will not have a complete story without mentioning and appreciating contributions made by USAID and GHSC-PSM in distribution of Essential commodities within the State and 6 other southern states including Abia.

She disclosed that the Cross River State Drug store with their support will bounce back to life in the shortest time. "I can assure you that if you give the support you have committed to today we will be back on track in 1 month”.

Dr Edu revealed that recovery of items belonging to the State warehouse and drug store was in top gear to ensure that at least 65% of the items and commodities are recovered.

The Country Director of GHSC-PSM, Mike Egboh led by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu amongst others visited the recovery centre to ascertain the number of recovered items belonging to the EDP warehouse and drug store. Work is presently ongoing to rebuild EDP.