By Haruna Gimba
The Sokoto State Ministry of Health said it has declared a state of emergency on health following outbreaks of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM), malaria and measles in the state.
The state’s Commissioner of Health, Dr. Balarabe Kakale disclosed this on Wednesday in Sokoto. He said 15 rapid response health teams have been deployed to all the 23 local government areas of the state.
Dr. Balarabe Kakale
The commissioner revealed that 150 medical personnel from the ministry, agencies and hospitals across the state have also been deployed. The teams, he said comprise medical doctors, nurses, medical laboratory scientists and other professionals.
According to him, the teams have ambulances, free drugs, logistics and other essential needs. “They would conduct state-wide, house to house extraction of patients, for evacuation to hospitals for free treatment,” Dr. Kakale stated.
He said the teams would also conduct massive sensitization campaigns on the need for people in the state to ensure personal and environmental hygiene.
The Commissioner disclosed that the state government was liaising with neighbouring Kebbi and Zamfara states for joint efforts to mitigate cross-border imports of cases, Daily Trust reported.
Dr. Kakale also said they were liaising with the federal ministry of health, World Health Organization, UNICEF, Medicines Sans Frontiers and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to procure CSM vaccines to enable the ministry conduct massive immunisation campaigns against meningitis.
The Commissioner said 104 cases of meningitis were recorded in Gada, Wurno and Bodinga local government areas of the state. He however said the situation had been brought under total control.
