From Judex Okoro, Calabar
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) led by sub-regional office head,Tesfaye Bekele, has donated Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) and other materials to Cross River State in support of COVID-19 fight in refugees camp.
There are over 40,000 refugees of Cameron origin scattered across various Local Government Areas in Cross River State.
With the help of state governemt, these displaced people now have unlimited access to quality healthcare services within and outside their camps.
Making the donation Bekele, when he paid a courtesy visit to the Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr Beta Edu, in Calabar recently to appreciate her efforts in guaranteeing refugee’s a good health, Bekele said since 2016, the state government have remained generous to the refugees by offering health and social services which is considered a luxury in some other refugee communities.
He further said since the arrival of the refugees in the state, the Commiasion has enjoyed collaboration and good working relationship with the government which have made us to settle well in the state.
He explained that some of the refugees are living in the camp and other communities which grant them access to health care all year round.
He commended the government for state-wide vaccinatiin and hope’s that over 700 eligible refugees will receive theirs in due time.
Receiving the team and the materials on behalf of the state government , the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu, commended the team for supporting the state in the fight against COVID-19.
She said collaborations with the UNHCR in renovating health facilities and the provision of health equipment have helped in fighting disease outbreaks in camps and host communities, noting that the state remain resolute in universal access to health care for both locals and refugees.
Speaking also at the event, the Director General of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (CRSPHDA), Dr Janet Ekpenyong, and head of the state immunisation team, said her team will ensure that all eligible individuals are vaccinated as more teams are being deployed to camps and settlements across the state.
She noted that the state will continue to push further with trailblazing actions which today has ranked the state among top three perfoming states in the country on COVID-19 immunisation coverage.
She assured the UNHCR of continuous support for their programs, which she said has affected the lives of both locals and refugees.
‘We will continue to support the UNHCR to ensure that all of your programs are implemented because your programmes are not only beneficial to the refugees alone but other members of the community as well.
‘As of today, we are one of the top performing states in the country, these donation will go a long way in supporting greater coverage and improve our results.’
Some of the items donated include antiseptics, face masks, gloves, theatre apron and vaccine josters.