A delegation from the Kogi State Ministry of Health, led by the Honourable Commissioner, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, on Wednesday visited the Ministry of Mercy Medical Centre Orphanage in Lokoja to conduct nutritional screenings and provide support to the children.
The visit is part of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s efforts to provide basic and essential health services to vulnerable populations, including children, women, and the poor.
During the visit, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza emphasized the importance of nutrition in maintaining good health and assured the people that the state government is committed to providing essential medical services to everyone in Kogi State. “As part of our efforts to see that we provide basic and essential services to the people as charged by the Executive Governor of Kogi State. Today we are talking nutrition, basically. Nutrition is an important indices of health. We are here at the orphanage where you have vulnerable children. We are here to screen them for malnutrition, like we will do to several other orphanages across the state. The screening entails using some basic tools to assess their nutritional status. Those who are malnourished will be managed as malnourished children. Those who are severely malnourished that may have comorbidities will be managed at the hospital for their comorbidities, while we are also addressing their issues of malnutrition, the commodities that will be used to manage this malnutrition will be provided for those children under five for free. They are not paying for it”, the Commissioner stated.
The Commissioner also noted that the Bello Health Intervention Scheme, established by the former Governor of the state, Alhaji Yahya Bello, is still ongoing and providing free health services to vulnerable populations.
He emphasized that the current administration, led by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, has sustained the scheme and directed the Ministry to ensure that children in orphanages are enrolled in the health insurance scheme.
“We are also here to assure the people that the state government, led by His Excellency, the Chief Servant of the State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, is not letting down anything and everything that is needed to provide essential medical services to everybody in Kogi State, the young, the old, the rich and the poor. From here, we’re also scheduling visits to other homes. We’re also here to announce to the people that through the Bello Health Intervention Scheme that was bathed by the former Governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello which is born out of his love to provide good health care services to the people by providing monthly contribution as form of equity to state health insurance scheme in providing free health services to vulnerable children and women, the aged, the poorest amongst the poor in the society.
These children today are One of those categories, they are vulnerable children. His Excellency the Chief Servant has continued on that pedestal to see that the Bello Care is sustained. That the equity contribution to the health insurance program in the state is sustained. And so, he has charged us to ensure that children in orphanages are all enrolled into health insurance for them to be getting free health insurance cover across the state and other vulnerable groups.”
The State Commissioner of Women Affairs, Hajia Fatima Mommoh, appreciated Governor Ododo for supporting and caring for children and women in the state and promised to work in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to ensure that vulnerable populations receive the necessary care and support.
The State Coordinator of Accelerating Nutrition Result in Nigeria (ANRIN), Mr. Bolarinwa Oladele, said the essence of the exercise was to ensure that children, especially from age six to fifty-nine months, are free of malnutrition, treated, and returned back into the society in a healthy condition.
Dr. Aledare Adekunle, Executive Secretary of Kogi State Health Insurance Agency, expressed delight for being part of the visit and noted that the Agency is committed to providing free health insurance to vulnerable populations, including orphans.
Pharmacist Salamatu Yunusa, Executive Secretary of Kogi State Drug Management Agency, expressed gratitude and admiration for Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza’s commitment to children’s welfare, adding that the Agency was promoting the well-being and health of children by providing essential drugs.
Dr. Mu’azu Musa Omeiza, Executive Director of Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, commended the excellent services being rendered by the staff of the orphanage.
The Medical Director, Ministry of Mercy Medical Centre, Dr. David Aimila, thanked Governor Ododo’s led administration for prioritizing the health of the people, especially the vulnerable, and urged him to sustain the effort.
The Permanent Secretary, Mr. Stephen Azeez Momoh, expressed excitement and gratitude to the staff of the Ministry of Mercy Medical Centre Orphanage.
Mr. Momoh also commended the organization’s commitment to caring for children and expressed appreciation for the dedication of the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza towards the well-being of the children.
Highlight of the visit was the donation of food items to the orphanage and the screening of the children for malnutrition status.
Dorothy Onoja
Information Officer
Ministry of Health
