FG loses 25 health workers to insurgency

The Federal Government has lost over 25 health workers, mostly poliomyelitis vaccinators, to the Boko Haram Islamic sect and other forms of insurgency since the beginning of this year, Executive Director of National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Ado Muhammad, has stated.

The government has also signed a $14 million US project steering committee for the  scaling up access to zinc and Oral Rehydration Salts to accelerate treatment of diarrhea in children under 5 years in five states of Bauchi, Cross River, Kaduna, Katsina and Niger.

Muhammad, in an interview with The Punch in Abuja, during the inauguration of the PSC with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development in Canada, however expressed optimism that the death of health workers will not stop government from providing healthcare services in the North East.

He said, “In the North East, as I have always said, simply because of insecurity, insurgency and access problem doesn’t mean healthcare services will not be provided. This is a responsible government and as a very responsible government, irrespective of wherever Nigerians may be, we will strive to ensure that we reach them.

“In recent times, this year (2014) alone, we must have lost more than 25 health workers. We are committed to saving lives and will continue to make sacrifice. I want to say that we have lost quite a number of health workers in these locations (North East); for us we must see that as a sacrifice and continue to save lives in Nigeria.”

He said the choice of the five states was premised on the the high burden of diarrhea among children under five.

“The burden is high in these states for a number of reasons; we have some challenges in terms of awareness, we have challenges in terms of appropriate treatment, we also have challenges in terms of health system. There is no single factor that is countable but a combination of factors. This program is set to tackle these problems and we believe that with these states accounting for 30 percent of diarrhea disease in this country, simple intervention will reduce it by 90 per cent and save more lives,” Muhammad stated.

The NPHCDA ED said the project would run for the next three years and would  work with states to institutionalize the use of zinc and ORS in every primary institution in the country.

Posted by kenics and team