By Kemi Olatunde

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Plans have been put in place to reduce neonatal, infant and under five mortality in Ondo State.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Awolowo Ajaka disclosed this while speaking with The Hope in Akure last Thursday.

According to him the government has zero tolerance towards the death of any child attributing the increase in recent mortality rate to COVID-19 which according to him affected virtually all sectors in the world.

While stating that Ondo State is not doing badly in this regards in South West, he explained that with COVID-19, there has been burden on the economy which contributed to higher health indices in the state.

The Commissioner revealed that government will soon embark on recruitment of personnel into the health sector especially pediatrician and also training exercise for health workers so as to reduce to the bearest minimum health indices in the state.

According to him, the Contributory Health Insurance Scheme especially the Orange Health Insurance Scheme which is for public servants and other packages will also contribute to the reduction of the indices.

“All of these are effects of COVID-19 and it is a huge burden on the economy not only in Nigeria but other countries. With government plan and the Contributory Health Insurance Scheme, we are good to go and that means that financing health will be easy, parents will no longer embrace out of pocket payment to access health, we will have good hospitals etc.” He said.

Ajaka hinted that health personnel will be effectively monitored to ensure delivery of qualitative health services to residents noting that “maternal and child death is almost criminal and if it happens, we have a panel in place who looks into it to identify negligence which goes with sanction.”

He stressed the need to sensitise pregnant women on register for the Maternal and Child Health Insurance Scheme known as Abiyamo Health Scheme for effective service delivery.

He advised parents to present their  children for treatment at health facilities immediately they notice any negative change in them stating that they should shun self medication especially in the treatment of Malaria which according to him is the greatest child killer disease

He also stressed the need for proper child immunisation.

It would be recalled that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recently disclosed that Ogun State has the highest number of childrens’ deaths in the southwestern part of the country.

The survey which was conducted by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners showed that Ogun recorded highest figures in neonatal mortality, infant mortality, postnatal care for newborn, among others in the region.