Imported User:
The Federal Capital territory Administration (FCTA), through its Primary Health Care Development Board has procured vaccines and drugs worth over N4 million as part of the health interventions to mark the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week in Abuja.
This is in addition to vaccines and drugs the board received from the National primary Health Care Board for the same purpose.
Executive Secretary of the board, Dr. Rilwan Mohammed, who disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists monitoring the exercise, at the Area 2 Primary Health Care Centre, said free drugs had been sent to the 422 government health care centres and eight private clinics in the territory for the weeklong activity, with the theme, “A package of care for a healthy family.”
“We are actually deploying all the necessary materials that are needed. They have been distributed to all the 422 health care centres 422 health care centres in the FCT, including eight private clinics.
“All of these health centres have received the drugs worth about N4 million, including Albendazole for deworming, Folic Acid, Vitamin A tablets for prevention of infection and improve immunity among others. All we are doing for the whole of the week is free and it is sponsored by the FCT administration under the leadership of Senator Bala Mohammed,” he said.
He said the board was partnering with two international donors in the exercise, saying, some of the vitamin A were donated by the United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF).
Mohammed appealed to residents to come avail themselves of the interventions, saying, “What we are doing is that we want people to develop the culture of going to the health care centres. The intervention should be given at the centres not in houses of individuals.
The exercise which comenced on Monday, is expected to be concluded on Friday and offers free services on health education on prevalent health issues, including hand washing, exclusive breast feeding, complementary foods, ORT demonstration and distribution of sachets.
Others are nutritional assessment, immunisation for children 0-11 months and TT for pregnant women, treatment of common ailments, antenatal care for pregnant women, HIV counselling and birth registration.
A mother, Mrs. Fatima Musa, who brought her child to the centre to access the free interventions, commended the administration for the service rendered.
She said the staffs at the centre were hardworking, offering all services according to specification
Also speaking, another mother, Mrs. Medina Aliyu said, “Our children are always immunised when we are given the date. They have been talking to us about family planning. We thank them because we are benefiting very much from them”.
