Posted on: Thu 06-03-2025

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is collaborating with the Rivers State Ministry of Health to improve facilities at the Primary Healthcare Centres.

Through the installation of oxygen equipment at the Primary Healthcare Centres, the Fund was able to significantly improve services at the health centre thereby reducing child mortality rate, especially among the new born in rural areas.

Speaking during a field tour by journalists to the Model Primary Healthcare Centre located in Akpajo – Eleme, Rivers State, Chief Medical Director, Rivers State Hospitals Management Board. Dr. Bright Ogbondah, said that UNICEF has built and equipped the neonatal healthcare unit at the Eleme General Hospital as well as assisted the state in providing the oxygen plants.

The facility visit conducted as part of the UNICEF Media Dialogue held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Tuesday, enabled journalists to inspect hospital facilities and also interface with patients as well as health workers.

Ogbondah who is in-charge of operations at the Medical Oxygen Plant located at Ncha in Eleme, explained the impact of the oxygen plant saying it has been of immense help in the treatment of critical illnesses, especially complications arising from child birth.

“The Oxygen Plant has gone a long way in alleviating the plight of the people when it comes to the issue of medical emergencies,” he said.

Ogbondah said the initiative to establish the oxygen plant came during the outbreak of COVID-19 and desperate demand for oxygen ventilators to take care emergency cases at the isolation centre located within Eleme General Hospital.

He noted that with the slowing down of COVID-19 cases, the oxygen plant has turned its attention to supplying medical oxygen to hospitals within the area, including the newly established Neonatal Healthcare Centre.

On the observation by journalists that there were few numbers of children and other patients at the neonatal facility, the Medical Director, Dr. Leechi Okere, said the clinic was recently opened for operations hence people are not yet fully aware of its services.

Earlier at the Primary Healthcare Centre in Akpajo in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, the Director, Public Health and Disease Control in the state, Dr. Ndubisi Akpah, said the collaboration between the state and UNICEF has brought tremendous improvement in the healthcare delivery in the communities

For instance, he explained that the healthcare centre recently handled a critical case of a baby with mild birth Asphyxia with the help of Oxygen concentrator and the child recovered.

He said before now such cases would have been referred to another facility which most times are private medical facility at huge cost to the parents.

On its part, UNICEF Chief of Field Office Dr. Anslem Otobo Audu called for more investment in facilities to improve children’s healthcare, especially the new born.

He said that this can be done by providing more funds towards upgrading of the Primary Healthcare Centres.

Audu said that neonatal healthcare and childhood illnesses have remained pressing challenges in Nigeria where too many children still face premature deaths and debilitating health issues that could otherwise be prevented.

He said although the country has witnessed remarkable progress in maternal and child health, government must continue to implement interventions that ensure every child receives the healthcare they deserve from the moment they are born.

“It is crucial that we strengthen our healthcare systems, increase access to quality services, and raise awareness about the importance of early and continuous weather for children,” he said.

SOURCE: THIS DAY NEWSPAPER

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