By Sunday Iduh
The Deputy Governor of Benue State, Barr Sam Ode has said the state government will do everything possible to ensure that issues of primary healthcare in the state are placed on the front burner.
Barrister Ode made this known Thursday during a courtesy call on him by the Executive Secretary, Benue State Primary Healthcare Board, Mrs Grace Wende at his office.
He said the developed nations of the world place huge emphasis on public health and called for attitudinal change as far as issues of public health were concerned.
The Deputy Governor disclosed that engagement will be deepened so that the people at the rural areas can key into interventions in the health sector by the government and relevant bodies.
“We have come into government to evolve and sustain international best practices in the way the state is governed.”
Barrister Ode assured the Executive Secretary that the state government will ensure that counterparts funds are paid promptly. He also said local government task force on immunization headed by the chairmen will be resuscitated to ensure effective coverage.
Earlier, Mrs Grace Wende explained that they were at the Deputy Governor’s Office to congratulate him on his inauguration and to imitate of his role as chairman, State Taskforce on Immunization.
She explained that inter-sectoral coordination was essential for the success of immunization and indeed other public health programmes.
Mrs Wende said: ‘The State Taskforce on Immunization (STFI’s) main responsibility is to ensure that directives from the Presidential Taskforce on Immunization are translated into real improvements in routine immunization coverage at state level.”
The Executive Secretary also said STFI will ensure effective leadership and coordination of all immunization activities in the state, ensure release of state government’s counterpart funds for all immunization activities, prepare and regularly review/update a 12-month state plan for the intensification of Polio eradication and routine immunization activities required to interrupt/sustain interruption of wild polio virus transmission, as well as improve routine immunization survey coverage among others.
