By Kenneth Obieh
Delta State Government (DTSG) has said it was ready to collaborate with any agencies or non-governmental organisations committed to assisting to kick out COVID-19 and other deadly diseases from the state.
The Delta State Epidemiologist, Dr. Richard Ikwuogu, stated this when the state team responsible for implementing COVID-19 Response Mechanism and Resilient and Sustainable System for Health Strengthening and Community Strengthening System (C19/RSSH-CSS), led by Pastor Greg Sifo, paid an advocacy visit to his office.
Dr. Ikwuogu appreciated the advocacy visit, saying it was timely, while thanking them for the significant activities they had embarked upon within the short period in helping to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Malaria, Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDs, including Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Human Rights issues.
He said they are ready to collaborate with the team in assisting the state to kick out deadly diseases from the state, noting that COVID-19 was still very much prevalent and that regretted that people had avoided coming out for testing for the disease, except those travelling abroad or off-shore workers that were subjected to mandatory routine testing.
The director disclosed that measures were on ground in various hospitals and other health facilities to ensure that patients were tested for COVID-19 so that they could know their status and how to manage it, saying it also applied to the health workers for symbiotic protection between them and the patients.
He emphasised the need for more sensitisation and use of appropriate channels of campaign to critical stakeholders who would effectively help to reach out to the people, just as he revealed that Lassa Fever and Monkey Pox should be added to the ATM activities as they were also ravaging the society.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Delta State Advocacy Team (SAT), Pastor Greg Sifo, stated the level of work executed so far in the five Government areas of intervention which included Udu, Uvwie, Warri South, Oshimili South and Oshimili North where three community based organisations were working.
Pastor Sifo appealed for support in kicking out deadly diseases from the state.
In their separate remarks, the state programme Officer, Miss Juliet Obiajulu, State Tuberculosis Network Coordinator, Mr. Miracle Onyeukwu, State NEPWHAN Coordinator, Mr. Christopher Ogberetinor, also gave details of how their organisations had tackled issues in the course of delivering healthcare services within the period.