Charles Ekanem|1 June 2016|11:35am
Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on the morning of 29th May, 2016 donated a Walk-in Cold Room and 6 Solar Mobile Cold Boxes to boost immunisation services in the CRS. The NDDC Personnel who delivered the items said the kits were part of the commission’s efforts to boost healthcare services in the region.
“The mobile Solar/Battery-powered vaccine cold chain boxes are meant to take the vaccines from the fixed Walk-in Cold Room to remote areas where they are to be administered.This will help maintain the cold temperature for
the vaccines to ensure that they were in perfect condition.
“NDDC is committed and will continue to partner with communities, local and state governments to help address medical challenges in the region. We will assist as best as we can to ensure that our people are healthy,” as this is the message from NDDC Managing Director, Mrs Ibim Semenitari to Cross River State people, said the official who represented the Acting MD.
Recieving the items, the DG CRS Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Betta Edu noted that the cold chain and other kits would enable people in the hard to reach areas have access to vaccines, thus increasing our immunisation coverage in CRS and reducing vaccine preventable diseases in the state. She noted that the Governor of CRS Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade will do everything possible to continue his support to immunisation amidst tight economic situations in the state. "Health care delivery is Sen. Ben Ayade's priority"
She further noted that the northern part of the state does not have a central work in cold room that can house huge influx of vaccines especially during immunisation exercises. Furthermore, some vaccines lose potency while transported from the LGA capitals to remote villages due to lenght of travel and small ice packs in cold boxes. “We noticed that vaccines are not properly stored to ensure that it is delivered to the end users at the potent. As such, we are grateful to NDDC for supporting the State even though we wrote to them at short notice.
"The state Governor, Senator (Prof) Ben Ayade is very grateful to NDDC and has asked me to specially thanked the Acting MD of NDDC for her pragmatic efforts in southern regions since she resumed office.
Continuing the DG said, CRS government is fully determine to deliver quality healthcare to the people and has begun several programs in some LGA's like rehabilitation of Primary health centres across the state, need assessment tour of health facilities and first ever town hall meetings on health with relevant stakeholders in the various communities. The health team lead by Dr Inyang Asibong, Hon. Commissioner for Health is poised to do more she observed!
The items were formally presented and received by the DG on behalf of the Cross River State Government.
Charles Ekanem
Is the media aide to the DG, CRS Primary Health Care Development Agency
