Kogi State Ministry of Health Screens children in Ministry of Mercy Medical Centre Orphanage for malnutrition, donates food items to orphanage

A delegation from Kogi State Ministry of Health has visited Ministry of Mercy Medical Centre Orphanage home,  Lokoja,  for Nutritional Screening of the  children and donated food items to prevent malnutrition of the orphans.

The screening entails using some basic tools to assess their nutritional status.

Speaking during the visit, the state commissioner of Health, Doctor Abdulkazeez Adams Adeiza said the initiative was part of  Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo's efforts to provide basic and essential health services to the people including children, women and vulnerables, hence the need to visite the Ministry of Mercy Medical Centre Orphanage home,  Lokoja, to screen the orphans  for malnutrition status and donate the nutritional items to ensure their healthy living.

Doctor Abdulkazeez emphasized that nutrition is an important indices of health, stressing that the ministry has earlier visited several other orphanage homes across the state and provided similar services to guarantee the health of the orphans.

"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 today at the orphanage home where you have vulnerable children. We are here to screen them for malnutrition, like we will do to several other orphanage homes 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". He said.

 

According to him, the Bello Health Intervention Scheme that was established by the former governor of the state, Alhaji Yahya Belo 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, women, the aged, the poorest amongst the poor in the society stand still.

The Commissioner also noted the the chief servant of Kogi State, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has directed the ministry to ensure that children in orphanage homes are all enrolled into health insurance Scheme for them to be getting free health insurance cover across the state and other vulnerable groups.

"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 orphanage 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 that bello care is sustained. The equity contribution to the health insurance program in the state was continued. And so he has charged us to ensure that children in orphanage homes are all enrolled into health insurance for them to be getting free health insurance cover across the state and other vulnerable groups" Dr. Abdulazeez.

In her remark, 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 children, women and vulnerables in the state are taking good care of.

On his part, the state Coordinator, Accelerating Nutrition Result in Nigeria (ANRIN), Mr Bolariwa 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.

The Medical Director, Ministry of Mercy Medical Centre, Lokoja, Doctor David Aimila, while responding on behalf of management of the orphanage, thanked Governor Ododo's led administration for prioritizing the health of the people especially the vulnerables and urged him to sustain the effort.

Doctor David said the MMinistry of Mercy Medical Centre,  is a faith-based organization which have two orphanages, not for profit making but with the aim of supporting the Government in providing free care services to orphans, children of special needs and vulnerables, appealing to state Government to exempt the ministry from paying tax.

"We are there to support government because government cannot do everything. So we exist to support government in providing quality health care, you know, primarily, first of all, our orphans, children of special needs, vulnerable groups, particularly women, and of course to the general public". MD MOMMC.

Highlight of the visit was donation of food items to the orphanage and screening of the orphans for malnutrition status.