Ebonyi State Commissioner for Health Dr Moses Ekuma weekend said that the proactive measures in place by his ministry in cases of any outbreak is formidable maintaining that the governor Nwifuru interventions in the health sector is yielded the need results.

In a chat with journaliststs in his office in Abakaliki Dr. Ekuma noted that apart from the proactive measures in case of outbreak other areas like immunization, welfare, equipment, manpower and training have been taken care of noting that the state is not on the list of risk areas of the disease.

He noted that the government has intensified efforts to ensure that children under three to nine years receive adequate immunization and potent vaccines to guard against diphtheria and other related diseases.

“Though Ebonyi State is not on the list of risk areas of the disease, the immunization and periodic vaccination of under age children are some of the measures put in place by the Ebonyi state government to protect the citizens against diphtheria and other related diseases” he explained.

Dr Ekuma explained that diphtheria is a serious infectious disease that causes sore throat, swollen neck and difficulty in swallowing or breathing.

He noted that the state government has established three oxygen manufacturing plants in each of the three senatorial zones across the State to make accessibility very easy adding that their quick response to emergency is superb.

To make response very easy the Commissioner said the state introduced an ambulance service system and purchased one hundred motorcycles for health workers to ease their transportation challenges and guarantee efficient service delivery particularly in all the primary healthcare facilities in Ebonyi State.

“Our responses during emergency is very quick even if it is in the remote areas, our ambulances are at work 24 hours for any emergencies. Honestly our mortality rate has dropped drastically”.

The Commissioner emphasized that many medical personnel and health workers in the state had been trained on the Public health emergency response framework commending Governor Francis Nwifuru for the interventions.

Dr Ekuma said, that other measures by the government to boost health service delivery include the establishment of a diagnostic center at Oferekpe Agbaja with two MRI machines and the recent employment of over one thousand health workers.

Ekuma called on the residents to maintain regular hand washing and imbibe high hygiene practices to avoid contracting diphtheria and other related diseases.

However he mad it clear that no case of Diphtheria has been recorded in Ebonyi State.