Benin city – A National Monitor of the National Primary Health care Development Agency, Gbenewei Ene, has Commended Governor Adams Oshiomhole for personally being there to ginger the massive flag-off and subsequent turn-up of mothers with their toddlers to receive the measles vaccine at various hospitals.
Speaking with The Nigerian Observer yesterday, Gbenewei observed that being the first day of the five days designated to vaccinate babies from nine months to five years against measles, the crowd of mothers at hospital and designated health centres was over-powering and commendable of the state government.
At the Central Hospital in Benin City, where she was interviewed, the crowd was overwhelming and persistent. Mothers with two or three toddlers jostled to register their children before being eligible for vaccination.
She adviced mothers to use the primary Healthcare Centres closest to their homes to ease the crowd build-up and speed up the rate at which they receive attention since the vaccination received was basically the same.
A mother who was in the process of registering her three children, who identified herself as Mrs. Omoijofoh said that despite the crowd, the health workers were doing their best to attend to them.
Another mother, Mrs. Lauretta Efosa however lamented that the initial move to allot numbers to mothers to speed up the vaccination process of their children, was not being followed due to the disorderly behaviour of parents. Even the process of queuing she observed was not fast either as mothers broke the line to get attention.
The Medical Director of the Central Hospital, Dr. Barry Uwadiae in a chat with this reporter asserted that judging by the sensitization which went on through the Ministry of Health, people have become aware and the hospital has become more prepared to cater for the needs of people because of the breakthrough to be recorded.
The antigen which builds up antibodies to fight measles is very essential. He said, once vaccinated, such persons are protected for life as their bodies produce anti-bodies which kill measles in situations of exposure to such a disease.
About two hundred toddlers were already vaccinated as at the time this reporter visited the Central Hospital at 11:40am with more people waiting to be registered for vaccination.
At the Oredo Primary Healthcare Centre where those to be vaccinated had an additional advantage of doing their birth registration, the head of the Immunization Unit, Mrs. Ayi Nana Aisuebeogun said that a hundred babies had been vaccinated at about 1:00pm.
The vaccination which runs for five consecutive days, starting on January 28, 2016 would have vaccinations take place on the first two days at fixed and semi-fixed posts at hospitals, health centres and schools while on the third day, attention would shift to mosques and market places. Churches would be visited on Sunday but the last day would end at the hospitals where the flag-off vaccination took place.
