Olive Ejang Tebug Ngoh
4 September 2008
Some 120 community relay workers in Kumba health district have been trained on the signs, symptoms and treatment of malaria.
The Kumba District Medical Officer, DMO, Dr. Orok Bate, stated that the workers were carefully selected from 93 villages and quarters to assist in the eradication of the diseases within the district.
He said since malaria kills about 60 percent of children, pregnant women and adults in the community and most patients depend on roadside drugs with wrong dosages that intensify the sickness and make it complicated, they thought it wise to fight the disease.
According to the DMO, the batch of community workers would go round the quarters and identify malaria cases, while the government would provide the drugs at subsidized prices.
While warning the community workers to shun corruption since their motivation would depend on the work done, he called on the populace to report cases of malaria to the relayers for treatment.
Meanwhile, the public has reacted positively with the coming of the relayers.One Margaret Suh said it is usually difficult to go to the hospital due to lack of money. But with the community relayers around to diagnose malaria and treat it on the spot, untimely death would be reduced in the villages.
But Peter Akwachu expressed fear that the workers selling drugs from their homes is questionable.He also feared that they could inflate the prices of the drugs to the detriment of the population and appealed to the DMO to check al these vices.
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