… Donates medical equipments to state govt
United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Integrated Health Program (IHP), yesterday, donated medical equipments to Ebonyi state government in a bid to eradicate or possibly end child mortality and maternal morbidity in Ebonyi state.
Coordinator of USAID IHP, Gladys Olisaeke, delivered the equipments to the commissioner, state ministry of Health, Abakaliki.
Some of the equipments delivered include: fetal doppler including delivery incoterms DAP, anti shock garment including delivery incoterms DAP, Sister U, Mama Natalie, Mama U, Mama breast, Neo Natalie, premier Natalie, Upright newborn (bag mask), deep contraceptive implant & insertion kit, implant insertion & removal kits, stainless table spoon, stainless bowl-36cm, MUAC strip/tape for child, PPIUD kits, Interval IUD kits MEC (Medical Eligibility Criteria) Wheel and bags.
Dr Olizaeke, said they were focusing on maternal and new born health, reproductive health and family planning, adding that the child health comprises of integrated management of childhood illnesses and nutrition.
She said Ebonyi is one of the Southeastern states that has high mortality and morbidity of both mother and infant.
“When you compare the statistics for women, children, for adolescent, it’s not as good as other states, that is one of the reasons we are concentrating our work here.
“USAID in general of course we have a lot of USAID funding projects. Six projects in health, we have Integrated Health Programme, we have Breakthrough Actions Nigeria, PSM and others.
“We are putting the cost together, the cost for the training models, which are those models that my colleague showed that will be used to train health workers who will provide different services and then we have the cost for the training manuals.
“We have engaged three local organizations to lead the rollout of these trainings in the health facilities, so we have engaged the War Chad, they are leading the Low Dose High Frequency training for family health and reproductive health. So we have Life Helpers Initiative, they are leading the Low Dose High Frequency on child health, the three component in child health and we have SOGON, Society for Obstetrics and Gynaecologist of Nigeria, Ebonyi state chapter, they are leading the maternal and newborn Low Dose High frequency training in all those facilities that we mention.
“The total cost of engaging these organizations to get their trainers to go to each facilities is over one million naira, multiplied by 198 facilitate including the cost of training materials.
“We are working very closely with the state ministry of health, and in each of those trainings, they have not less than five officials that have been trained and are master trainers leading this training team in each of the thematic areas of maternal and newborn health and family planning.
“Also, local government focal persons for each of these areas are part of the training, they would have to be trained at these thematic areas, they will be working closely with the state and local government health officers to do the training, supervise them as well as to monitor, afterwards to ensure that the equipment they have procured remains in the facilities and not just remains but are put in use
On his part, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Daniel Umezuruike, said that Low Dose High frequency training pilot study was conducted in Ebonyi state, adding that was the reason it was implemented in the state.
He said: “We thank them for their support. I am the highest advocate for Low Dose High frequency training, because the traditional training where you pull people from facilities to come and assemble in a place for days or weeks is not working very well, though it has its own benefits.
“Low Dose High frequency training ensures that the trainers who have been trained, will go to the facilities and impact that training with the models that have been provided and all the training facilities.
“So it means that you people will be trained, all the members of the team in that facility will be trained at the same time.
“It also gives confidence to actually apply these training facilities, because these will be stationed in the facilities and the trainer will come there and train them. You will see that the peculiarities of that facility would be overcome, because if you say we don’t have a place to position this, they would find a way to overcome that.
“Above all, Low Dose High frequency training, will ensure that it doesn’t interrupt services, because they will be in their facility working”.
He assured that the equipments donated will be judiciously used, they will be kept safe.
He added “I always emphasis that cleaning is the most cost effective way of safeguarding our property and equipment.
“Each of these facilities will have their names engraved on it. This training will in no small measure lower the mortality and improve child survive in Ebonyi state and that is the mission and vision statement of our dear Governor”.