Outgoing Anambra State Health commissioner, Joe Akabuike, says the six-day Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW), which ends June 21, will address some basic healthcare challenges in the state. Akabuike, who gave the explanation in Awka, the state capital on Monday, said MNCHW was biannual event aimed at delivering a package of basic interventions required to reduce child mortality while improving mother and child health.
He said the weeklong interventions would complement routine health services by ensuring that basic care reached all mothers and children.
According to Akabuike, it is run in conjunction with other routine services aimed at reducing neonatal, maternal and child morbidity and mortality in the country.
“MNCHW has shown improvements to Vitamin A supplementation, immunisation coverage of routine vaccines, Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets and other child survival interventions,’’ he said.
The commissioner said Vitamin A supplementation was important for the growth of human cells and for boosting of immunity and stressed that Vitamin A supplementation was usually given at 4-6 months interval to children (6-9 months).
The week would also feature Anti Natal Care for expectant mothers and information on exclusive breastfeeding, family planning and proper hand washing.
Other interventions include de-worming of children, iron foliate to pregnant women, management of childhood illnesses and birth registration.
He said the campaign would be carried out in all the primary health centres, selected General and Mission hospitals and other designated posts.
He emphasised that all medicament would be free and safe, urging caregivers to avail themselves of the opportunity to ensure that their children receive these interventions.
“Pregnant/women of child bearing age should visit the health facilities to access healthcare services,’’ he noted.
Earlier, executive secretary, Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Chioma Ezenyimulu, said the campaign would be an event that would offer services to children (0-59 months) and pregnant women in the state.
She said this first round of MNCHW would be sponsored by Saving One Million Lives (SOML) programme for result.
Programme manager, SOML, Oby Uchebo said she hoped that every arrangements had been made for successful conduct of this year’s campaign.
The flag-off will be on June 18 at Egbu Umuenem, Otolo Nnewi in Nnewi North LGA.
Meanwhile, medical doctors under the Aegis of Conference of Anambra Civil Service Doctors have embarked on a week warning strike over poor remuneration and condition of service.
Livinus Chukwuma, chairman of the Civil Service doctors, announced this at a news briefing at Enugu-Ukwu General Hospital, Enugu-Ukwu in Njikoka council area on Monday.
Chukwuma said no fewer than 60 medical doctors in Anambra General Hospitals, Comprehensive Healthcare Centre and Cottage hospitals would not attend to patients during the period.
He said the association would not be left with any other option than to shutdown operations in these categories of hospital indefinitely if the Anambra government failed to address their grouse.
Anambra government has failed to fully implement the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) and provide adequate funding and equipment to enable doctors carry out diagnostics and treatment, he said.
He called for 100 percent payment of CONMESS in Anambra as obtained in other state, adding that manpower was aging as young doctors no longer find it attractive to be in the employ of the state.
“Anambra Civil Service doctors have decided to go on seven day warning strike in protest of poor pay and poor working condition.
“There was a Memorandum of Understanding between Anambra government and doctors represented by Nigeria Medical Association in 2012 where government agreed to pay 50 percent with promise to improve it.
“Nothing has been done on that and with the revised-CONMESS, the state government is now paying just between 35 percent and 40 percent CONMESS, so we are calling for full pay as provided in the structure.
“We have about 60 doctors in our association but most of them are due for retirement, others are leaving the services to other states while young doctors are refusing to join because of poor pay,” he said.
Also speaking, Christopher Okonkwo, secretary of the body, said there was poor motivation among doctors in the state, saying the struggle was for the good of the sector and urged the public to join the doctors to appeal to government to improve the sector.
The warning strike is coming five weeks into the indefinite strike embarked on Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH) branch.
Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) resumed last Monday after a week warning strike with the threat to go on indefinite strike before the end of the month, if Anambra government refuses to address their demands.
