Kogi State commissioner for Health, Dr Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, has led a medical team to the Ministry of Mercy Orphanage Medical Centre in Lokoja to conduct nutritional screening and support for the children.
The commissioner said the visit was part of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s efforts to provide basic and essential health services to vulnerable populations, including children, women, and the state’s vulnerable population.
Abdulazeez emphasised the importance of nutrition in maintaining good health and assured the people that the state government was committed to providing essential medical services for everyone in Kogi State.
“As part of our efforts to see that we provide basic and essential services to the people as charged by the executive governor of Kogi State. Today, we are talking basically about nutrition. Nutrition is an important index of health.
“We are here at the orphanage where you have vulnerable children.
We are here to screen them for malnutrition, like we will do to several other orphanages across the state.
“The screening entails using some basic tools to assess their nutritional status. Those who are malnourished will be managed as malnourished children. Those who are severely malnourished and may have comorbidities will be managed at the hospital for their comorbidities, while we are also addressing their issues of malnutrition. The commodities that will be used to manage this malnutrition will be provided for children under five for free. They are not paying for it”, the commissioner stated.
The commissioner also noted that the Bello Health Intervention Scheme, established by the former governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, is still ongoing and provides free health services to vulnerable populations.
He emphasised that the current administration, led by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, has sustained the scheme and directed the ministry to ensure that children in orphanages are enrolled in the health insurance scheme.
“We are also here to assure the people that the state government, led by His Excellency, the chief servant of the state, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, is not letting down anything and everything that is needed to provide essential medical services to everybody in Kogi State, the young, the old, the rich and the poor. From here, we’re also scheduling visits to other homes. We’re also here to announce to the people that through the Bello Health Intervention Scheme that was bathed by the former governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello which is born out of his love to provide good health care services to the people by providing monthly contribution as form of equity to state health insurance scheme in providing free health services to vulnerable children and women, the aged, the poorest amongst the poor in the society is still ongoing.
“These children today are One of those categories, they are vulnerable children. His Excellency the chief servant has continued on that pedestal to see that the Bello Care is sustained. That the equity contribution to the health insurance program in the state is sustained. And so, he has charged us to ensure that children in orphanages are all enrolled into health insurance to get free health insurance cover across the state and other vulnerable groups.”
Also, the commissioner of Women Affairs, Hajiya Fatima Momoh, appreciated Governor Ododo for supporting and caring for children and women in the state and promised to work in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to ensure that vulnerable populations receive the necessary care and support.
The state coordinator of Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRIN), Mr Bolarinwa Oladele, said the exercise’s essence was to ensure that children, especially those aged six to fifty-nine months, are free of malnutrition, treated, and returned to society in a healthy condition.
Dr Aledare Adekunle, executive secretary of Kogi State Health Insurance Agency, expressed delight for being part of the visit and noted that the Agency is committed to providing free health insurance to vulnerable populations, including orphans.
Pharmacist Salamatu Yunusa, executive secretary of Kogi State Drug Management Agency, expressed gratitude and admiration for Dr Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza’s commitment to children’s welfare, adding that the Agency was promoting the well-being and health of children by providing essential drugs.
Dr Mu’azu Musa Omeiza, executive director of Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, commended the excellent services rendered by the orphanage’s staff.
The medical director of the Ministry of Mercy Medical Centre, Dr David Aimila, thanked the Governor Ododo-led administration for prioritising the people’s health, especially the vulnerable, and urged him to sustain the effort.
The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, Steven Azeez Momoh, expressed excitement and gratitude to the Ministry of Mercy Medical Centre Orphanage staff.
Mr Momoh also commended the organisation’s commitment to caring for children and expressed appreciation for the dedication of the commissioner for health, Dr Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, towards the well-being of the children.
The highlight of the visit was the donation of food items to the orphanage and the screening of the children for malnutrition status.
