Simon Ebegbulem
9 July 2008
THE Edo State Government has constituted a committee for the flag off of the newly approved free anti-malaria treatment for under-5 children and free antenatal care and anti-malaria treatment for pregnant women in the state.
The free treatment programme which was approved by the State Executive Council last week would gulp the sum of N350million annually.
The State Commissioner of Health, Dr Wilson Imogan who inaugurated the Committee yesterday in Benin City, said the programme was in line with the belief of the Governor Oserhiemen Osunbor-led administration that children and pregnant women in the state, receive quality health care.
According to him, "the vulnerable people in our society are pregnant women and children and if you are observant you will find out that maternal and infant mortality are very high in our society. We believe strongly that ante-natal is free, more people will supervise delivery so that maternal mortality can be checked.
"And if we are giving free anti-malaria treatment, then we are sure of handling infant and maternal mortality because most complications during pregnancy are as a result of malaria. The problem of ante-natal and delivery goes along way in affecting the life of that child therefore we have serious responsibility to care for the pregnant woman and the child," he stated.
Dr Imogan charged the members to ensure the full implementation of the programme, adding that the state government had made adequate arrangement for the kick off and that all hands must be on deck to make it a huge success.
Responding the chairman of the Committee, Dr C.S.Amiebenomo commended the state government for initiating the free medical treatment in the state, assuring that the committee would ensure full implementation of the project which he said would go along way in improving health delivery in the state.
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