Meeting the healthcare needs of all Bayelsans is central to the policy
thrust of the state government in the health sector, Bayelsa State
Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, has
said.
According to him, public spending on health has increased in the recent
times because the state government is more interested in preventive
measure rather than wait for crisis management that usually comes with
medical emergencies.
The Commissioner stated this during a thank-you and sensitisation visit on
him by the State UNICEF Team on Friday in his office in Yenagoa.
Iworiso-Markson said that a number of medical infrastructures are being
put in place, while the State Health Insurance Scheme, which is the brain
child of Governor He ry Seriake Dickson, is providing opportunities for
families that may not have financial muscle to procure medical services
when they are sick.
He commended the Unicef team for their interest in the medical well-being
of the child, assuring that the state Ministry of Information and
Orientation will support immunization campaigns with publicity materials.
The Commissioner however, advised his guests to always inform the ministry
ahead of time about their programmes so as to provide ample time for the
ministry to sensitise and mobilise the populace, particularly those at
rural communities to not only benefit from the life-saving vaccines but
also guard against imputing wrong motives to such medical outreach
programs as was the case with the monkey pox disease.
Earlier, the team leader and C4D Consultant on Measles, Shamsu Abdullahi
had commended the state government for its investment in the Health
sector.
He, however, observed that many children are yet to be immunized against
the Measles mellitus, which according to him is the deadliest of the nine
child killed diseases.
He sought the Ministry of Information and Orientation’s assistance at
creating public awareness on the killer disease with a view to mobilizing
the hard-to- reach to bring their children and wards for immunization.
The Permanent Ministry, Mrs. Ebifayon Hosea-Igunnu and Directors in the
Ministry of Information and Orientation were in attendance.
Highlight of the meeting was the presentation of the state government 2018
Calendar to the Leader and other members of the Unicef Team.