Wike flags off phase one of measles immunization exercise
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has flagged off the first phase of the measles immunization exercise in the state with a pledge to mobilize all available resources to ensure that the health sector in the state is given the required boost.
The governor, who was represented at the ceremony held Thursday at the Saint Andrew State School in Diobu, Port Harcourt, the state capital by the Health Commissioner, Prof Princewill Chike stated that his administration inherited a decayed health sector but that they were doing everything possible to revive it and that the reconstruction and renovation of General Hospitals across the state was a demonstration of these efforts.
The governor called on parents to allow their children benefit from the vaccination exercise and disclosed that the zonal hospitals being built by his government in the state would soon be operational.
Also speaking at the ceremony, a representative of one of the donor bodies, Dr Chinenye Okafor explained that the first phase of the exercise would be done in eleven local government areas while the second phase will cover the remaining LGAs.
Speaking to Journalists shortly after the event, the Permanent Secretary of the state Primary Healthcare Board, Dr A. M. Harry urged parents to cooperate with health officials to ensure success of the exercise.
Dispelling fears of parents, he said, “so far, all the necessary groundwork has been done to dispel; we had some pockets of resistance in Ahoada West and in some riverine areas. But I think all that has been taken care of.”
Dr Harry who disclosed that the state had fully paid its counterpart fund of N28 million further added, ” because we want a hundred percent success and we don’t want anybody out of it, we are collaborating with everybody that has to do with health; the partners, the military, the paramilitary, social organizations, churches, schools etc.”
The exercise is being done in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children and Education Fund(UNICEF).
