At a health performance evaluation forum convened by the Arewa Youth Solidarity forum yesterday, the Coordinator of the forum, Usman Okwoli, commended the Kogi state government for scoring first position among states in the North-central zone, having satisfactorily carried out free rural health outreach programme anchored by the State Ministry of Health under Dr Idris Omede. Francis Adinoyi Kadiri writes that the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Idris Omede, pledged the continued readiness of the present administration to continue to deliver on its “promises in the health sector and other sectors.”
Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Idris Omede has stressed the importance of health in national development, stating that the state government is already executing various projects in the interest of delivering standard healthcare to the citizen irrespective of economic status.
The commissioner who gave the assurance shortly after the Arewa Youth Solidarity Forum declared the result of a health performance evaluation in which it pitched its tent with previous evaluators which agree that Kogi state did tremendously well cited teamwork, shared vision and accountability as factors which made the feat possible.
“No matter how wealthy a nation is, no matter how wealthy an individual may be, if he is not in a good state of health, he will be unable to drive his own affairs,” Dr Omede said, adding that the state administration was willing to empower every individual in the state with the potentials of good health in order to allow them pursue their goals.
“So good health is paramount, and the present administration identifies clearly with the position of health in national development, and is doing everything possible to ensure delivery of good healthcare as a dividend to the people,” he said.
The Commissioner who was a one time National President of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) said the administration will improve on the achievements and ensure same in other sectors.
Commenting on the free medical outreach embarked upon by the state government, Dr Omede said success has been recorded, stating that no causality has been recorded since its inception till date.
He said the medical outreach was designed to ensure delivery of quality health services to all and sundry within the state irrespective of economic status. “Children however young, adults, male and female, and whoever needs healthcare services will get it.
According to the highly respected physician who was on the Board of Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri, Nigeria and the National Orthopedic Hospital, Dala, “in the course of the free medical outreach in Kogi state, minor, major and even complex abnormal conditions were successfully attended to at referral points,” adding that various committees have been working elaborately to create the awareness needed to avoid contagious diseases, an exercise he said helped to overcome the spread of diseases.
While saying that the ministry of health was mindful of developing the resourcefulness of its civil service workforce toward sustaining its effectiveness in sensitisation and advocacy, Dr Omede disclosed that a lot has already been done to give formal and informal training to civil servants, adding that the training were extended to market women, hunters and other informal sector operators to ensure maximum effectiveness.
“We will continue to build upon this even as we rejoice with several people who have been touched by our healthcare efforts. till date, there is no Ebola disease in Kogi state and in the country.”
The accomplished medical practitioner charged Nigerians to avoid peddling rumours of Ebola urging that people should seek counsel and information from the right sources.
Speaking further on recent successes, the commissioner commended the state’s rapid response team and the inter ministerial committee for decisive actions which he said did much to end the spread of Ebola virus.
Coordinator of the Forum, Okwoli Usman said after due consultations, AYSF agrees with other stakeholders which earlier gave kudos to Kogi state government for its giant strides in healthcare delivery in the state.
Usman said civil society organisations and the global community are not oblivious of the reduction in statistics of various cases since the inception of the administration.
Adducing more reasons for the recognition, the Coordinator said “Local dwellers, city dwellers, civil society organisations are witnesses to the relief which the free rural health outreach programme anchored by the ministry of health has brought to our people.”
“The gesture is a pacesetters initiative which should serve as an example to others states across the federation,” he further explained.
Okwoli who called for sustainable healthcare packages for indigent people said the Kogi healthcare success should be adopted as a workable template for nationwide application.
While commending the administration for its rare gesture of offering free major and minor surgeries to the needy people in the state, Usman disclosed that the forum’s findings further showed that no mean amount of money was spent on provision of medicated glasses and other accessories to the needy. “On behalf of the beneficiaries of this uncommon kindness, we say thank you,” the coordinator said.
The forum further commended the commissioner for the proactive response of the state government to the Ebola virus disease which was brought into Lagos from Liberia.
“The proactive response to the Ebola virus disease through which a rapid response team was constituted to handle the emergency is another protective effort on the part of government in the interest of the people,” he said, stating that it was a thing of joy that Kogi state remains free of the virus, as also other states in the country.
Usman said the “prevailing atmosphere of industrial harmony in Kogi state’s health sector is a testimony of the administration’s ingenuity,” assuring the administration of AYSF’s continued support toward fast tracking the realisation of the transformation agenda of the Idris Wada led government of the state as it concerns the health sector.
The Permanent Secretary, Kogi State Ministry of Health, Alh Salawu Aliyu attributed the new wave of good health in the state to the leadership style and informed decision of the commissioner, restating that while Kogi came first in the Northe central zone, it came 3rd position nationwide.
“As commissioner, Dr. Omede has successfully turned around the fortunes Kogi State ministry of health, and by extension the health sector in the state.
According to the Permanent Secretary, “a lot of people in the rural areas have particularly benefitted from the healthcare policies of the administration especially in the area of free immunization and surgeries which the administration took to the people in the rural areas.”
He said people who could not afford medical care for various ailments were availed free medical attention; a gesture he said proves the commitment of the administration to the welfare of its citizens.
