City Crime
We’ll Support IMAM Services To Improve Malnourished Children’s Health -Fubara
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reiterated his administration’s commitment to prioritize healthcare services in the state, especially primary healthcare.
This, he noted, is geared towards ensuring that Rivers people get the best of healthcare services they deserve to improve their quality of life, particularly in addressing the impact of the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) programme on moderately and severely malnourished children in the State.
Fubara, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, disclosed this when he paid an unscheduled inspection visit to the Degema Zonal Hospital in Degema Local Government Area of the State.
The governor accompanied by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh; the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Degema Local Government Area, Hon. Anthony Soberekon; and the Chief Medical Director, Rivers State Hospitals Management Board, Dr Bright Ogbonda; also visited the Model Primary Healthcare Centre (MPHC), Degema.
He interfaced with the Matron in-charge of the Primary Healthcare Centre, Matron Florence Kalio, staff who were on duty, members of the Ward Development Committee (WDC), and patients.
Fubara sought to know the challenges faced by the staff of the centre while noting the impact of the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) programme on moderately and severely malnourished children in the area.
The centre is one of the six IMAM sites established by the Rivers State Government across the state in January, 2024, to address the healthcare needs of the people in the rural communities.
The governor said, “I have listened to you with rapt attention and have ascertained the challenges you face in the discharge of your duties.
“I want to assure you of the commitment of our administration to give Rivers people the best of healthcare services they need.
“In fact, I want to inform you that health is of utmost priority in our administration. We are prioritizing healthcare, especially primary healthcare, and we will do everything within our powers to ensure that you have what you need to provide the services needed by the people.”
In her remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh, lauded Fubara for his commitment towards ensuring the provision of universal healthcare services to Rivers people, emphasising that the administration’s huge investment in the sector was a testament to its desire to put the wellbeing of the people first, and also catalyse the overall development of the State.
Dr Oreh explained that the IMAM programme was established by the Rivers State Government, in collaboration with key national and international partners, to address core healthcare needs of malnourished children across the state, among others.
She noted that the governor’s efforts in supporting the centre will no doubt strengthen the health sector, and the State’s economy with the aim of achieving the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on healthcare.
Earlier, Matron in-charge of the Primary Healthcare Centre, Matron Florence Kalio, had explained that the services provided have helped address the challenges faced by the most vulnerable people in the target areas of the healthcare centre.
She specifically noted the intervention the centre has made in antenatal, delivery, newborn care, immunisation, deworming, infant and child growth monitoring, nutrition supplementation, family planning, and reproductive health services.
Kalio emphasised that the centre has also provided excellent services in the areas of cervical cancer screening, HIV testing, birth registration, health promotion, and diagnosis of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and commended the Governor for the support given to the centre to enable it deliver on its mandate to the people of the area.
The MPHC, Degema, caters for the healthcare needs of the diverse riverine population in the Kalabari axis of Rivers State, providing wide range of healthcare services, including antenatal, delivery, newborn care, immunisation, deworming, infant and child growth monitoring, nutrition supplementation, family planning and reproductive health services.
It further provides services covering cervical cancer screening, HIV testing, birth registration, health promotion, and diagnosis of communicable and non-communicable diseases.
These services are intended to address the majority of healthcare needs required at the rural level in order to significantly improve population health outcomes such as maternal, newborn, infant, and child mortality rates in the State.
The MPHC services also strive to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
Highlight of the visit was the signing of the Register of the centre by the Governor.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has felicitated Muslim faithful as they celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad, urging them to show love, tolerance, perseverance, patriotism and commitment to the growth and development of the State.
Governor Fubara, in a message in Port Harcourt, the State capital, urged the Muslim Ummah to use the lessons of the 12th day of the third month of Rabi’ al-Awwal to reflect on the core teachings of the Holy Prophet, and interceed for one another as exemplified by the sacrifices He made for humanity.
The Governor charged the faithful in the State and across the country to commit to ensuring that they continue to benefit from the genuine policies and programmes of government put in place to make live easy for all living and doing business in the State, without discrimination.
He said, “I, on behalf of the government and good people of Rivers State, heartily felicitate all Muslim faithful on the occasion of the Eid-el-Maulud celebration, to honour the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, and urge for prayers for the revival and unity of Nigeria.
“The occasion, yet again, provides an opportunity to reflect deeply on the need for greater application of the Prophet’s teachings bordering on piety, charity, patience, resilience, justice and peaceful coexistence,” he added.
Governor Fubara assured the Muslim community in Rivers State, and indeed, all residents of the resolve of his administration to sustain the tempo of providing critical projects and social services to improve the quality of life of the people.
Workers in the nation’s telecommunication-s industry, under the aegis of the Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association, PTECSSAN, will today begin an indefinite nationwide strike over sack, and poor working conditions, among others.
Among the employees going on strike include field maintenance engineers, transmission engineers, customer service engineers, fibre engineers, and other critical staff.
There are fears that the strike could disrupt telecommunications services nationwide if not resolved quickly.
The Tide’s source gathered that PTECSSAN, has pending issues with no fewer than 39 telecoms servicing companies including the sack of three of its members by Specific Tools & Technology Limited.
The 39 companies provide critical support services to the telecommunications operators in the country.
The Tide’s source was informed that the union had earlier given a seven-day strike notice to the affected companies to address its demands or risk indefinite strike.
Among PTECSSAN’s demands include immediate recognition of the fundamental right of the employees to freely associate with the union, immediate recognition of the union as negotiating body for the employees on workers welfare and immediate remittance of membership dues into the union’s account as earlier provided.
The demands equally are immediate recognition of the years of service of these workers, immediate commencement of appropriate pensions deduction and remittance of same as required by the Pension Act, immediate approval of the National Health Insurance Scheme that covers the employees, their spouses and four of their dependents, immediate enrolment of Union members in the Group Life Insurance as stipulated in the Pension Reform Act 2004, Section 9(3).
The union is also demanding immediate implementation of leave and leave allowance in accordance with the international best practices, immediate negotiation on review of salaries of the workers to meet the economic reality in the country today, and immediate provision Operational Vehicles or in the alternative immediate negotiation on review of the Self Drive/Self Rental to meet the economic reality in the country today.
Also in the union’s demands are immediate stoppage of 24-hour job and introduction of work hours in line with the international best practices, immediate stoppage of work overload (combining passive tasks to theirs) on the workers, and immediate adherence to occupational health and safety for the workers in line with international best practices.
Announcing the commencement of strike, General Secretary of PTECSSAN Abdullahi Okonu said “We have made every effort to engage with employers, but our legitimate demands have been disregarded.
“This strike is a last resort to protect our members’ rights and well-being. We urge the public to understand our position and support our struggle for fair treatment.”
While pleading with Nigerians to bear with the Union throughout the period of the strike, PTECSSAN “assures that it will engage with employers and the government to resolve the issues, but the strike will continue until their demands are met.”