OSSIOMO: The Minister of State for Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire has urged the Edo State Government to fastrack the efforts to develop its social register to enable vulnerable persons in the state benefits from the social intervention programme of the Federal Government.
He stated this while on a visit to Ossiomo Leprosarium Center in Orhionmwon Local Government Council in Edo State yesterday.
Ehanire said the Social Intervention Programme of the Federal Government has been on for a long time to give assistance to the poor and the vulnerable in the country and the inmate at the Ossiomo Leprosarium Center falls in the categories of vulnerable. “The programme has already started implementation in other states in the country. We encourage Edo State to move ahead with the social register so that the state will be able to benefit from this intervention fund that will give little succor to those vulnerable and assist them in the community”.
The Minister express delight on the facilities on ground, the dedicated staff in the center taken care of the inmate in the leprosy home. “This was an unscheduled visit, I was on my way to see the Federal medical center in Asaba and I decided to stop by at Ossiomo to see what is on ground. This is a very old and well establish colony of people affected by leprosy and I decided to look at it”.
“I have seen that a lot of work has been done and the center is very clean. I have seen dedicated staff here; I have seen the magnificent work by the Daughter of Charity taken care of the vulnerable. We have discussed ways and avenue of improving the services and see how to reduce the plight they go through daily”.
He calls on private intervention and support for all programmes particularly social programmes. “We call on good spirited Nigerians to continue to give support to the vulnerable in the society especially to people who cannot support themselves”.
Dr. Ehanire speaking with the inmate at the center assured them that the government of President Muhammad Buhari has not forgotten them and is doing everything to ensure that their welfare is improved upon.
The Permanent Secretary State Ministry of Health, Dr. Peter Ugbodaga express delight for the visit of the Minister to the Leprosarium Center build in 1930 for victims of leprosy ostralsize from the communities. He said the government in its wisdom is providing financial support to ensure that they feed three times a day and pay them stipend of N5, 000 monthly to assist them.
He appealed to the Federal government to assist the state government to ensure that regular drugs are provided by the Federal Ministry of Health for the care of the people and also assist the state government to ensure that the people are captured in the social intervention programme.
The Managing Director (MD) of the center Dr. Igbinegie Osagie thanked the Minister for the visit saying that the visit has certainly added value to the center and the prospect of the center is very good. He called on the government to assist the center with good access road as the one in the center now is very bad and get worst during the raining season making the center inaccessible. “We also want the Federal Ministry of Health to help us with anti leprosy reaction drugs to assist the people in this center”.
