Healthcare board has treated 80,000 IDPs in camps, says Borno State govt
THE Borno State Primary Health Care Management Board (BPHCM) said that it has treated over 80,000 Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) in 17 camps of Maiduguri metropolis for malaria and typhoid, including immunisation for the six-child-killer diseases in the state.
The treatment and immunisation, according to BPHCM authorities, are part of the board’s free medical outreach.
Addressing a news conference yesterday in Maiduguri, the Executive Secretary of the board, Dr. Sule Mene, said the agency had also inaugurated about 240 Integrated Primary HealthCare Team (IPHCT) to ensure availability of relevant services to meet IDPs’ health needs and requirements.
He said: “Over a dozen health members of staff were deployed to all the 26 camps; and they are to provide healthcare delivery services like routine immunisation against preventable diseases for children below the age of 11 months.”
He listed other services to include ante-natal healthcare to pregnant women, psycho-social services, as well as child nutrition support for the mothers.
Mene, who also explained that the agency had donated about one million mosquito nets, first aid kits, and 57 maternity beds in the maternity unit as well as deworming drugs for children, said: “This is to ensure that the healthcare needs of this group are met.
“At Dalori camp alone, we have over 10,000 children and all of them have successfully been immunised against the six child-killer diseases in the state.
“It was equally meant to enhance healthy growth of the child in the area of nutrition as well as malaria and tuberculosis prevention.”
According to him, the agency through its Community Management of Malnutrition Team (CMMT), had provided clean and portable drinking water in the camp.
“The team was set up by the agency’s department of disease and control,” he said.
Mene said that the agency in collaboration with Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) had trained six ambulance drivers in the camps on professional driving skills.
“This driver would work tirelessly to provide quick response to emergency cases in the IDPs to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) for proper medical attention.
“We also have our team situated in Umaru Shehu, Maiduguri Specialist Hospital and UMTH to ensure that our emergency patients are quickly attended to,” said Mene.
Mene, however, lamented the challenges faced by the agency to the daily increase of IDPs trooping into the camps from some of the liberated towns by the military.
“This camp is over-stretched; but we are working with other partners which include NEMA, WHO, UNICEF, BOSEPA and SEMA to provide conducive, healthy and hygienic environment for the IDPs,” he said.
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