According to the governor, the privatization of the hospital will put it at par with the best hospitals in the world and will serve the healthcare needs of Nigerians who ordinarily would have travelled abroad for such services.

He said the logic of his administration is to woo those who have the resources to travel abroad for treatment to Edo State, for standard healthcare services instead of travelling abroad.

He added that the accruing resources from the medical tourists will be channeled to provide affordable healthcare services for the ordinary Edo people across the state.

He made this position known during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Edo State Government and the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) which will provide over two million treated mosquito nets for Edo citizens.

The governor added that many people suffer from malarial compared to renal failure and stressed that primary healthcare is key to improved health of the people.

“We are going to invest massively in our primary healthcare system,” the governor assured.

Obaseki said the MoU was important as it emphasizes what the administration stands for and it’s the beginning of cooperation between his administration and the CRS and other donor bodies in providing affordable healthcare for the people of Edo State.

He added that his administration places high premium on the healthcare of the people, which explains why he appointed the Deputy Governor Hon. Philp Shaibu to head the Edo State Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Net Campaign Committee.

“I hope we will make history by emerging the first state in the country to totally eliminate malaria. Our counterpart fund is available and we are working round the clock to ensure that the time line we set for ourselves for the rollout which is August 20, this year is met” Obaseki said.

The leader of the team for CRS Dr. Ikhimioya Uchechuku commended the governor for the collaboration and expressed their readiness to work with the Godwin Obaseki-led administration to ensure that malaria is a thing of the past in Edo State.

The high point of the event was the signing of the MoU. Dr. Ikhimioya Uchechuku signed for CRS while the Secretary to Edo State Government Barr. Osarodion Ogie Signed for Edo State Government.

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The move is part of efforts at halting the prevalent cases of malaria scourge and promote sound health in the country.

Leading a team of health experts, Oluwakemi Olawoyin, the Oyo State Health Educator at a press briefing at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council press centre, added that prevention of measles and malaria was a burden not to be neglected.

She appealed to media organizations to join them in educating members of the public on various health initiatives saying that the media was an integral part of every campaign due to the great and significant role it played in the dissemination of information to a mass audience.

“We are seeking your collaboration on our upcoming vaccination programme, which is aimed at a 95 percent reduction of measles and malaria burden if not totally eradicated.

“The defects suffered by children affected by measles and that suffered by individuals from malaria has become a concern of government and various international health organisations.

“This led to the intervention of all concerned. We are seeking the collaboration of the media as an educative and informative platform relied upon by the public to help educate them on the importance of these initiatives,” she said.

Olawoyin disclosed that vaccination would be administered on children from zero to five years, adding that prevention of measles and malaria was a burden not to be neglected.

Also speaking, a Consultant with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Oyo State Measles Campaign, Toyin Afaching said that immunisation was good for the children’s health.

Afaching said that government was trying to ensure that the children were adequately taken care of, calling on the media to also give necessary support through adequate education of the people.

In the same vein, Usman Usman, Behaviour Change Advisor informed journalists that malaria was a disease that could be treated and prevented, urging the people to support every initiatives aimed at preventing its occurrence.

“The net prevents malaria in three different ways. It is a barrier between the human body and mosquitoes, it serves as repellent and kills mosquitoes as a result of the chemicals on it.

“The nets which lasts for three years could be washed with bathing soaps and must be dried under shade for 24 hours before usage because of the chemicals on it.

Usman, who said that the nets would be from January 28 to February 1, said that they would ensure that families in the selected states benefit from the distribution.

He said that the mobilisers would visit every household to give out net cards, which would be used in obtaining the net at specified distribution points.

“We will ensure proper monitoring of the distribution and make sure at least a family gets four of the nets,’’ he said.

They allayed the fears that the nets could have negative effects on the users due to the chemicals on it, likewise the perception against immunisation of the children.

They also called on the people to always make good use of such items when obtained to get the best results it was aimed at.‬

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