C/River targets 1.5m women, children for free healthcare service

The Cross River Government has promised to provide free healthcare services to 1.5 million women and children across the state under its Maternal New-Born and Child Health Week programme.

Dr Inyang Asibong, the State Commissioner for Health, disclosed this  during the flag off of the second round of the health week in Biase Local Government Area of the state.

Asibong said that the campaign was targeted at pregnant women, women of child bearing age, children of age five to 59 months who would be supplemented with Vitamin A and children of age 0 to 11 months.

According to her, children of nine months of age would be vaccinated against measles and yellow fever, while pregnant women of child bearing age would be administered with Tetanus Toxide (TT).

She said that the government’s initiative was aimed at improving the health of mothers and health indices across the state, adding that the service was coming at the right time when the State Health Insurance Scheme “AyadeCare’ was set to be flagged off.

She used the occasion to encourage residents in the state to enroll in the State Health Insurance Scheme for N1,000 monthly, beginning from 15th December, 2017.

‘‘As we flag off the second round of the Maternal New-Born and Child Health Week in the state, I wish to call on nursing mothers and pregnant women to come out en mass for the programme.

‘‘We have dispatched our team to all the local government areas in the state for this health week and we are targeting over 1.5miilion people to benefit from this programme’’, she said.

Earlier, Dr Betta Edu, Director General of the State Primary Healthcare Agency, said it had become customary for the state government to provide special health intervention targeted at mothers and children twice a year.

According to Dr Edu, the health interventions were designed to reduce maternal mortality and mortality of children under five.

She noted that Governor Ben Ayade of the state was particularly concerned about women, children and the vulnerable in the society which he worked hard to address their needs.

The DG explained that all the hard-to-reach areas in the state would be approached whether by boat, canoe, bicycle or motorcycle with a view to ensuring that people receive health services  during the week.

She outlined the health service to be rendered to include, Vitamin A, Malaria treatment, HIV/AIDS test and counselling, de-worming of children, malnutrition screening where severe malnourished children would be picked up and rehabilitated among others.

Mrs Anthonia Esu, a beneficiary whose child was tested for malnutrition and given drugs, mosquitoes net, beverages and other food items, thanked the state government for placing premium on the health of residents in the state.