The Anambra State Government on Tuesday began healthcare intervention services for displaced flood victims staying in holding centres to ease their sufferings.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, who visited the holding centres at Crowther Memorial Primary School, Onitsha and Unity Hall, Umueri, said the medical intervention was necessary to avert an outbreak of diseases in the area.
Addressing the victims, Obidike said that the state government was concerned about their health needs and had mapped out plans to offer diagnoses, provide drugs, and other healthcare services to them.
“Governor Chukwuma Soludo has mandated the ministry to carry out regular on-the-spot assessment of the holding centres, to ascertain your health needs and challenges for immediate intervention.
“We are here with some team of medical personnel to make sure that everything is being taken care of medically as well as ascertain the hygiene and sanitation of the centres, which is very essential.
“More health personnel will be sent to the holding centres to ensure that flood victims are adequately taken care of medically,” he said.
In his response, Mr Felix Ikechi, Transition Committee Chairman of Anambra West Local Area, commended the state government for the prompt response to the plight of the victims.
One of the flood victims, Mr Emmanuel Onwuadi, said virtually all the communities in Anambra West were submerged, noting that more people would be joining the camp soonest.
“We thank the state government for coming to our rescue. During the 2012 flood disaster, we did not receive the kind of attention we are getting today, medically, from the state government.
“But we are still appealing for more government assistance in the area of mattresses as well as finding lasting solutions to the problem of flood in Anambra West, “he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that some cartons of drugs and mosquito-treated nets were distributed to the victims.
(NAN)
