By Asmau Ahmad
The Enugu State Ministry of Health said it will embark on a state-wide week-long free healthcare for pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants and children in the state.
The State Director of Health, Dr. Okechukwu Ossai, made the disclosure in Enugu during an interview with newsmen.
He said that the exercise would be part of the state’s ‘Pregnant Women, Nursing Mothers, Infant and Children Health Week.’
According to Dr. Ossai, the health week, which will run from August 29 to September 2, will be held in all government owned health facilities including Primary Healthcare Centers (PHC) across the state.
He said that the ministry was carrying out the free healthcare for vulnerable people in conjunction with the state’s local and international health partners.
“We have free lecture and enlightenment for pregnant women and nursing mothers facilitated by the government and health partners in all government owned health facilities in rural communities.
“We are going to teach pregnant women and nursing mothers on exclusive breastfeeding; how to wash their hands before breastfeeding and handling food items. We will also teach them how to improve their nutrition with local food components and child spacing techniques,” he said.
Dr. Ossai added that the state have free medical checks, free natal care, free insecticide treated mosquitoes nets, free anti-malaria drugs for pregnant women, cervical cancer test and vitamin A for pregnant women and nursing mothers.
He said there is also free de-worming drugs, tetanus injection and other vaccines for infants and children during the week-long programme,
The director said that the ministry had also trained some people that would take the programme to ‘hard to reach’ communities; which have mobility challenge.
Ossai urged mothers, pregnant women and nursing mothers to take advantage of the programme by going to the nearest state-owned health facilities close to them to benefit from the exercise.
