The Rivers State Government has reiterated its commitment to reducing high maternal death rate in the state.
Declaring open the maternal, newborn and child health week at the Model Primary Care Centre Churchill, Port Harcourt, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the governor of Rivers State who cited the scripture, noted that God mandated people on earth to go and multiply, stressing that there is no birth that said a person should die in the process, pointing out that the state government whose primary duty was to protect the lives of its citizens want everyone to live, hence Rivers State government was doing its best to ensure that people live in good health by building primary health centres across the state.
Other services he said her provision of drugs, intermittent prevention therapy IPT that reduce the attack of malaria, HIV/AIDS Screening test which enable people to know their HIV status and maintain good health, assuring that the state government will continue to ensure that the people of the state live healthy.
Governor Amaechi, who was represented by Engineer Tele Ikuru, the deputy governor of the state advised women, and pregnant ones to take advantage of what the government has provided for the people of the state towards health delivery by registering their new born child and pregnant women to benefit from government gestures, as well as advice them to immunize their children.
In his speech, the chairman of the occasion, Dr. Uriah Etawor, the chairman of the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board disclosed that the ceremony was the flag-off of maternal newborn and child health week, stressing that the mortality rate was still high in the state, adding that the state organizes the programme annually to prevent mother to child diseases and ensure peacefulness during birth and commended those who graced the occasion.
In his speech, the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker recalled the achievements of the present administration under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Amaechi towards good health in the state, since assumption of office in 2007, stressing that governor Amaechi has done wonderfully well in preventing diseases.
Dr. Parker also appreciated the effort of the present government on the employment of over 200 medical doctors to reduce unemployment, building of health centre across the state, improved man power in the state, budgetary allocation in the state Ministry of Health, adding that governor Amaechi is undoubtedly caring about the health of the people in the state.
Dr. Parker also commended Dame Judith Amaechi for caring for the health of the people in the state.
According to him, Dame Amaechi who has been mobilizing women has never shield away from releasing money on the health programmes and appealed that she and her husband should not relent in ensuring good health in the state.
In her speech, the representative of the NCWS, Mrs. Evelyn Weke the Chairperson of the Association commended governor Amaechi for all he has been doing for the state, especially on the health of the people, stressing that the programme geared towards prevention of mother to child diseases, hence the state government employed the services of more doctors to ensure good health in the state, as well as provision of drugs and advised women to take advantages of the government’s gesture to ensure good health.
She further advised them to clean their environment to prevent diseases, as well as advised women not to depend on prayers alone, but should visit the health centres nearest to them to know their health status.
Emeka Jilly Ejiowhor
