From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
A total of thirty-two primary health facilities in Enugu State have received a second batch of COVID-19 preventive materials and Personal Protective Equipment, PPEs.
The items were presented to three civil society organizations by the Enugu State Commissioner for health for onward delivery to the health facilities.
The CSOs included the Global Health Awareness Research Foundation, GHARF, the New Life Community Care Initiative, NELCCI, and the Royal Healthcare Foundation, RHF.
The State Government, through the health ministry had earlier taken delivery of the donations from the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, in collaboration with the Women’s Health and Action Research Centre, WHARC.
Among the items are face masks, gloves, surgical long cuffs, goggles and other materials.
The Director of Public Health, Dr. Okolo Boniface, received the items from Brian Igboin Program officer WHARC, on behalf of the commissioner.
Speaking while handing over the items to the CSOs, Okolo hailed the partnership between the Ministry, UNFPA, WHARC and the CSOs.
He said the impact of the first batch of materials earlier distributed to the facilities was huge and appealed that the efforts should not decline.
“I appreciate the efforts of WHARC and UNFPA who have been helping our State on health-based issues as well as gender based issues, because gender-based issues are also tied to health.
“This is because by the time you have violence, the person ends up in the hospital or a health facility.
“I want to use this opportunity to appreciate your effort in supporting us with COVID-19 preventive materials and PPEs to use in our designated health centres which you people are supporting.
“I wish to use the name of the Honourable commissioner to thank you people, to appreciate you. We need your support at all times. On the part of the CSOs, you should always count on our continuous collaboration; the State is always there to help whenever there are challenges,” he said.
Earlier, while presenting the items to the ministry, the UNFPA programme officer, Brian said the items were donated by the UNFPA to support the national response on COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
“Sometime in November, a survey was conducted in Enugu State, in health facilities in three local governments, which is Udi, Enugu North and Enugu South. From the baseline survey.
“It was discovered that there was limited access to PPEs for health care workers to carry out their duties and that was why the UNFPA decided to donate these items to the health centres through their CSOs working in the three LGAs, who will in turn hand them over to the health facilities. This will continue as long as the project exists,” he assured.
In their separate remarks, the Executive Director of GHARF, Prof. Obioma Nwogu, that of NELCCI, Florence Ifeanwyi-Aneke and the programme Director RHF, Chris Amalu, hailed UNFPA and WHARC, stating that the interventions had assisted in promoting health care in the State.
They said apart from interventions in the area of distribution of the COVID-19 prevention items and PPEs, they had also trained health workers on Gender-Based Violence and on how to respond to it, adding that a rapid response team had been put in place.
The donated items included: 15,000 surgical face masks, 15,000 short gloves, 200 goggles, 1000 hand sanitizers, 1000 liquid soap, 1000 hypo and 10,000 long gloves.
