Soludo flags off free health status checkup program in Anambra

Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo has flagged off a health programme to avail residents opportunity to check their health status in terms of blood pressure, blood sugar and others.

The Governor flagged off the programme called Solution know your numbers,at General Hospital,Enugu-Ukwu, Njikoka Council Area of the State, on Wednesday.

He said that the programme was aimed at giving Ndi Anambra the opportunity to know their status in five key areas including Blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol among others and advised every onye Anambra to access the services free of cost in all the General Hospitals across the state.

While noting that the present administration has employed over two hundred and fifty health personnel posted to various health centers across the state, Governor Soludo represented by his Chief of Staff, Chief Ernest Ezeajughi recounted achievements of the present administration within its nine months in office to include, distribution of three point four million insecticide treated nets, ongoing construction of over two hundred and sixty kilometers of roads, employment of five thousand teachers as well as the ongoing one youth two skills programme among numerous others.

He announced that the state government will flag off operation desilt the drainage system soon to ensure that the roads in the state are protected, charging all to take ownership of the road projects in their communities and to report any sharp practices by any contractor.

In his speech, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike said that the programme has become necessary following sudden deaths resulting from non-communicable diseases as a result of lack of knowledge and stressed the need for early detection, right treatments and follow ups.

Dr Obidike noted that the event marks a milestone in health care delivery with the flag off of Solution know your numbers, prevent silent killers, extend the life span by knowing the number which will come in form of free blood pressure measurements, free blood sugar measurements, weight, height and body mass index.

On his part, the Chief Medical Officer of Enugu-Ukwu General Hospital, Dr Francis Ifeaneme said that the current realities in health care delivery has made it imperative for people to know their numbers and it will go a long way in determining the quality of individual health indices and parameters, which made the event important.

Speaking on behalf of other partner agencies, the World Health Organization Representative Dr Adamu Abdulnasir and the representative of Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative, Mr Henry Udenenwu while appreciating Governor Soludo for giving them the enabling environment to operate, by paying the state counterpart funds, called for all hands to be on deck to arrest the situation for the good of all.

The Acting Director Primary Health at the State Ministry of Health, Dr Afam Anaeme and the programme manager, Non-communicable Disease Ministry of Health said that the exercise has become necessary because many individuals are not aware that they have the non communicable diseases which has been killing people recently adding that with the exercise, individuals can know their numbers and prevent sudden deaths.