The role of Community leaders and ward Development committee members in sensitizing their community on the need to adhere to COVID-19 protocols can not be overemphasized. Beyond COVID-19, communities need to get the right information about their health and ways to prevent diseases and preventable death. These were the key messages when the Commissioner for Health Dr Betta Edu and her team hit Yakurr LGA for massive sensitization, COVID-19 sample collection, and training of Health workers and Ward Development Committee members from all wards on Risk communication.
Dr Edu who was received by the Vice chairman of council on behalf of the Chairman thanked Yakurr for the very warm reception as always. She said “Indeed everyone should be part of the surveillance team in the LGA. We have set up a sample collection site at General Hospital Ugep, and except we actively go back to our wards and look for suspected cases, the place will not have clients. We need the community leaders to get involved in the fight against COVID-19 walking with the health workers, Disease surveillance officers, and the Local Government COVID-19 Taskforce.
“Beyond COVID-19 there is need for health system strengthening and health promotion in our communities, pregnant women and children should seek care at health facilities, parents should be encouraged to take their children’s immunization routine seriously, use of insecticide nets and other preventive health methods must be ensured.
“We are starting the implementation (enrollment) of Ayade Care in October. Vulnerables in Yakurr will be covered free while the rest of us are expected to register, pay 1000 Naira a month and be part of the revolution to achieve Universal Health Care.”
The Vice-Chairman in councils who received PPEs and other Items donated to the LGA thanked the proactive Commissioner for Health Dr Betta Edu for coming to train them on risk communication as it concerns COVID-19. She thanked the SA to Governor Dr Ushie for his great presentation during the training and the other trainers like Mrs Ekpor who is the head of the risk communication pillar.
The newly inaugurated team joined the Commissioner for Health to go into Communities for sensitization, distribution of face mask, and sample collection as part of their new roles going forward.