The United nations children fund (UNICEF) midweek in Bayelsa State made good its Commitments on medical partnership with the state government.
To this end, the UN children fund and the state Ministry of Health during the week continued in its trajectory of medical collaboration where no fewer than 72 Communities across the state benefitted from Unicef supported medical outreach.
National Wire reports that as part of activities earlier slated to commemorate the third year in office anniversary of the Governor Diri led ‘Prosperity Government’, the state Government had about a fortnight ago launched a free medical outreach in Igeibiri Community of the Southern Ijaw council area of the state.
National Wire further learnt that in the wake of the 2022 ravaging floods, Unicef through the funding of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency(SIDA) and the Central emergency relief fund(Cerf) had earlier presented medical relief materials to the state government as well as commenced post-flood activities meant to ameliorate the impact of the floods on the state, including the procurement and supply of medications and distribution of essential commodities and related items to the impacted persons and families which have recently started resettling in their communities.
Meanwhile, in Otuabo(Abobiri) Community of the Ogbia council area of the state where National Wire monitored the exercise on Tuesday, the Chairman, Community Development Committee(CDC), Mr Arimori Igoniwari commended Unicef and the state government for the initiative.
He noted that the community which had for long been grappling with the difficulties in accessing qualitative and affordable medicare which were occasioned by lack of equipments in the old existing health centre in the area could now better appreciate the partnership of the UN children fund with the state government.
Earlier in Yenagoa, the state capital, the State Commissioner of Health, Dr Pabara Newton Igwele represented by his Personal Assistant, Dr Appah Williams had eulogized Unicef for its Commitment on medical and related partnership with the state.
This was just as the team leader for the Unicef harmonized approach to cash transfer(HACT), Mrs Pauline Uko has also restated the need for a continued partnership in ameliorating the health challenges facing the state, noting that the UN children fund would build on its existing collaborations with the state.
In same vein, speaking just after the conclusion of the medical outreach in Otuabo, Ogbia council area, the acting team lead for the local government batch of medical professionals on the outreach, Dr Perebi Adama hinted that no fewer than 250 patients were diagnosed and treated of various ailments.
He said: “Men, women, the aged, children, expectant mothers and others were diagnosed and treated of various ailments and diseases like malaria, typhoid, acute diarrhea, cholera, tuberculosis and we also carried out deworming of patients.
“We administered drugs and also carried out vaccination, we did Covid test, we did immunisation and also carried out rapid diagnosis test (rdt), etc. While patients diagnosed with hypertensive and diabetic cases were addressed through pharmacological and non pharmacological measures. We also gave out palliatives to cushion the impacts of the 2022 raving floods on them.”