‘Sokoto has vaccines for heat-related diseases’

Sokoto State government yesterday said it had stockpiled vaccines and drugs to prevent any outbreak of heat-related diseases.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Balarabe Kakale, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto that the vaccines and drugs were for measles, typhoid fever, cerebro-spinal meningitis, gastro-enteritis, chicken pox, heat rashes, among others.

He said that: “The hot season is at its peak, with the rainy season setting in gradually and the prevalence of these killer diseases is very high now.’’

Kakale added that the state government had therefore stockpiled all the needed essential drugs to guard against any eventuality.

The commissioner noted that the drugs and vaccines had been distributed to general hospitals and primary health centres across the state.

He said: “We have also raised high-powered emergency medical teams who were ready to be deployed to any part of the state. We also have buffer stocks at the warehouse of the Ministry of Health and this action became imperative to save the lives of the people of the state.’’

He, however, appealed to parents in the state to ensure that their children were immunised against all the child killer diseases and also urged them to report suspected cases of the diseases to hospitals, avoid overcrowding in rooms and sleep in well ventilated places.

The commissioner also advised the people to always ensure personal and environmental hygiene.