By Chris Chimezie
|
The feat recorded by the Ondo State Government in the health sector, especially in the area of safeguarding the lives of children from vaccine-preventable diseases has been attributed to the health workers’ diligent services and government’s commitment to completely kick polio out of the State.

The State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) made this known at the 3rd quarter Polio Eradication and Routine Immunisation Task Force meeting with stakeholders held at the Cocoa Conference Hall of the Governor’s Office in Akure.

Akeredolu particularly applauded the State Primary Health Care Development Board and other relevant stakeholders whose efforts have ensured that the State has remained free from the Polio virus for nine years in a row.

He added that their efforts have also reduced the morbidity and mortality with vaccine-preventable diseases to the barest minimum.

The Governor reiterated his determination to revamping the Primary healthcare system and repositioning it for an effective and qualitative service delivery to people across all communities in the state.

Akeredolu while stating that the present administration will not relent on the zealous, but visionary path, hinted that relevant infrastructural upgrading, particularly medical and laboratory equipment which had been procured and installed, shall continue throughout the life of his administration.

“Requisite trainings and other forms of manpower development at the Primary healthcare level remains the epicentre of our drive as well.

“All of these strategies have been conceptualized as a ‘Save the Children Initiative’ (called Agbomola) and are deliberately geared towards curbing childhood morbidity with a view to making our Primary healthcare system a virile and dependable one”, he stated.

Arakunrin Akeredolu however, commended the state’s partners who have been of immense support towards assisting the state in working towards achieving a Polio-free state.

He also commended stakeholders at the state level for being dependable facilitators. They included; the traditional rulers, heads of religious institutions, market women among others.

Earlier, Commissioner for Health, Dr Wahab Adegbenro commended the Governor for strengthening the health delivery system to curtail all health indices, particularly the under – 5 morbidity and mortality.

He also thanked the Governor for the employment of hundreds of health workers of all cadres through the Hospitals Management Board (HMB) to bridge the gap in shortage of human resources for health at the secondary level of care.

The Commissioner, who charged stakeholders to continually put in their best for the sake of the living and unborn children in the state, said they must not allow Polio and other Vaccine-Preventable Diseases to debilitate or kill the future leaders.

 Speaking on behalf of the development partners on  activities of the exercise, WHO State Coordinator, Mr Tunji Adeoye applauded Ondo State for consistently maintaining its lead in the SouthWest in its quest to curtail the spread of the scourge.

At the meeting were; Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Yemi Olowolabi, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Deaconess Lola Fagbemi, Executive Secretary, Primary Healthcare Development Board, Mr Francis Akanbiemu and Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mr Dipo Durojaiye and others.