The Enugu State Government on Wednesday sealed unregistered hospitals and pharmaceutical stores in Enugu and Nsukka areas of the state to safeguard public health.

The health facilities were sealed during a two-day Monitoring Exercise of the Expanded Joint Inspectorate of the State Ministry of Health, Regulatory Bodies and Associations of medical health groups in Enugu.

The Director, Medical Services, Enugu State Ministry of Health, Dr Sam Egwuonwu, said the
exercise was to fish out hospitals that had not registered with the state’s Ministry of Health but were operating.

He disclosed that the operation also involved those who had not renewed their annual registration fee.

According to him, the monitoring yielded fruits as they sealed more than six private hospitals and health institutions.

“It was joint inspection of all the stakeholders in the health sector in Enugu such as the Nigeria Medical Association, Medical and Dental Midwifery, Laboratory Councils, Association of Nurses, Pharmacists in Enugu, Civil Society Organisations, Police and Media.

“We have two teams, one in Enugu thencapital and another in Nsukka. The idea is to make all the private health facilities in the state legal and ensured they register with the Ministry of Health.

“And if you register and did not renew, your operation that year is illegal and by making them register will reduce quackery in the state and generate revenue for the government, Egwuonwu explained.

He assured of the prioritisation of people’s health, adding that the task force would ensure that hospitals in the state practice according to approved standards.

Earlier, the state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Emmanuel Obi, said the exercise was to optimise healthcare delivery and reduce fatalities linked to illegal operations.

Obi added that the team would inspect healthcare facilities in both urban and rural areas.

He urged residents to verify the status of any health facility before patronising them.

Comrade Innocent Ejike, an official of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Enugu Chapter, said the association also checked if the nurses and other medical personnel were qualified and registered.

“On our own, we check if they have registered nurses and practicing licenses and if hospital is operating without nurses, we seal it.

“If they are operating without doctors, we seal it, same thing goes to the medical laboratory,” Ejike said

From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

Some selected journalists in Bayelsa state yesterday embarked on a sensitisation tour to Zarama Primary Health Care Center, Yenagoa local government area of the state as part of activities marking the World Immunization Week.

The sensitisation tour which was sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was to engage locals on the importance of immunization to children at every stage of their life.

It was an interactive moment between the locals and journalists at the Zarama health center to get feedback from them and to let them know the importance of immunization to their children.

It was also to let them know how UNICEF and her partners valued the life of women and children.

Some of the locals who spoke with the team of journalists include; Evidence Mathias said her son has not taken his immunization yet because it has not gotten to his turn, saying she will bring him for immunization when his is due. She commended the staff and nurses for the good job they are doing. “They are very good, they attend to us very well and anything I am asked to do I make sure I do it”.

Also, Joseph Martha said she also brought her son for treatment but that the immunization day has not reached and when the time comes she will make sure she brings him for immunization. “I always make sure to follow up all the instructions and do as I am told”.

Speaking with journalists during the exercise, acting chief of primary health care centre Zamara, Iberin Mabel Seiyefa commended UNICEF and her partners for providing the facilities, vaccines and other needed items for the smooth running of the health center.

Though she said they were posted there February this year, saying it is commendable because the turnout from the community is encouraging. “As for the last data collection, the percentage was so high, we educated them which is the major thing and they all key into it”.

“Within these three months the turnout has been good, sometimes when the health talk is not offered, they ask for it, teach us we want to know more.

“Concerning the polio week coming up, workers are on ground, we are ready and the vaccines are here and if it is not enough we will call the zip line and they will use their drone to bring it” she said .

During an interview With UNICEF SIO in Bayelsa Dr. Gbanai Orukari said, when you protect your children it helps you in the long run as a mother and a family. Saying that when “We immunize especially our children they are protected from diseases, children are more vulnerable to malaria and it can help to protect children to reduce sickness.

“We encourage everyone out there even if you don’t have a child your neighbor might have, have you given your child a vaccine because you need to protect the child and every child around you to make sure all hands are on deck”.

GAVI/UNICEF as part of their humanitarian services have supported, renovated health care centers and solarization of 10 primary Health Centers as well as provision of water and sanitation facilities, provision of cold chain equipment, provision of operational vehicles and ambulance boats for more effective delivery.

 Gov. Alex Otti of Abia has approved a new salary scale for Abia health workers, known as Abia State Health Workers Salary Scale (ASHWOSS), with effect from May 1.

This is contained in a statement signed by the state Health Commissioner, Prof Ogbonnaya Uche on Wednesday in Umuahia.

According to Uche, the new Abia salary scale is equal with the federal salary structure for Health workers, Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, Optometrists, Physiotherapists, medical laboratory scientists and radiographers.

“This means that Abia Health workers with effect from May 1st 2025 will begin to enjoy the same pay as their federal government counterparts.

“Abia will also recruit 771 new health workers including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical lab scientists, physiotherapists , radiographers and other categories of healthcare workers.

“This number was based on the result of needs assessment performed across the health facilities and agencies of the Ministry of Health,” he said.

Uche said that the government has also approved the release of funds to cover the emolument of the 771 new staff to be recruited into the healthcare workforce.

He noted that the governor had directed the ministry to negotiate a special emolument package to attract and retain critical human resources for the health sector in the state.

He said the required hands included consultants and specialists in critical medical fields.

Uche said the needed medical experts would have special skills in laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery, anesthesia and intensive care, transplant and robotic surgery, cardiac and neurosurgery and neonatology.

“Other areas requiring specialists include:interventional (radiology, neurology, cardiology and nephrology) ophthalmology, oncology, orthopedics and plastic surgery on a case by case basis as may be applicable.”

He said all the approvals would take effect from May 1.