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Tag: #CRSPHCDA

  • Cross River State Government Begins Integrated Campaign Against Vaccine Preventable Diseases

    Cross River State Government Begins Integrated Campaign Against Vaccine Preventable Diseases

    By Simon Ushie – Calabar

    The Cross River State Government has urged women especially nursing mothers to keep to the 6 routine immunization appointments for their wards to avoid deaths of infants in the state as a result of vaccine preventable diseases.

    The Director General of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Janet Ekpenyong made the call while addressing the public on the importance of strict adherence to immunization exercise and the resultant effects when missed.

    Dr Ekpenyong held that globally one of the highest causes of infants mortality are illnesses which can be vaccinated against while also emphasizing that vaccines are the sourest antidotes for childhood killer diseases.

    The DG admonished parents and care givers to make their wards available for vaccination especially as the state is set to kick start its routine measles and immunization exercise across the 18 Local Government Areas of Cross River State.

    Her words “We all know that there are other diseases that are killing our people especially children aside Covid19, and so as a state we have chosen to start an integrated campaign against all childhood killer diseases and for a start, the measles campaign. It is worrisome to note that many women are depriving their kids from this privilege and as a state, we can’t afford to manage another pandemic after Covid19.

    “I want to debunk every rumor out there that there are poisonous vaccines being imported and circulated across the country. Emphatically I must say that our vaccines in Cross River State are safe and they are potent in line with the World Health Organization’s standard and best practices. Our central cold store is working, and in our various facilities, we have solar panel refrigerators to store these vaccines.

    “I want to encourage all our mothers and care givers to as a matter of concern to take their children and wards to the nearest Primary Health care Facility around them and get them immunized.

    “Immunization is free and if taken accurately will ensure the development of antibodies of their children”.

    Also speaking, the State Immunization Officer, Mrs Joy Chabo, charged pregnant women to ensure maximum utilization of health facilities around them in order to receive vaccines which will protect them and their unborn children.

    On her part, the state Mobilization officer, Mrs Nsa Ekpenyong noted that  the agency have engaged the services of town criers in the rural areas, reached out to traditional, religious and group leaders to permit health workers to access their communities and facilities to administer vaccines to their kids as well as pregnant women.

    The Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency has commenced state wide campaign to mobilize women for routine immunization.

    Some of the diseases to be immunized include; Poliomyelitis, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Diphtheria,Pneumonia, Measles,Yellow fever, Diarrhea among others.

  • Covid 19: C’River Govt Receives Technical And Material Support From NPHCDA

    Covid 19: C’River Govt Receives Technical And Material Support From NPHCDA

    By Simon Ushie – Calabar

    As part of measures to improve quality and effective healthcare delivery for Cross Riverians, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), have donated some personal protective equipment and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials to the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency to boost the fight against Covid-19 in the state.

    Presenting the materials to the agency, the state coordinator for the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Mr Julius Idoko maintained that “the state’s effort in the fight against Covid-19 has gained a nationwide recognition and hence the need to support the state in training health workers to boost their capacity and enlighten them on best and globally accepted medical practices”

    Receiving the materials on behalf of the Government, the Director General, Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Janet Ekpenyong thanked the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency for assisting the state in the organization of various training workshops for staff in the state and in the provision of Information, Education and communication materials to enhance staff knowledge and their capacity to meet the health needs of Cross Riverians .

    Ekpenyong held that “On behalf of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, I am very thankful to the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency for this show of love especially this moment where the whole world is being faced with the pandemic that we are all struggling to understand and find a cure to it. These things that are provided will be used judiciously for the benefit of our people as we have set up a team to ensure that all wards and villages get a share of these materials as we seek to improve the health and wellbeing of our people.

    “Just recently, the NPHCDA assisted us in building the capacity of health workers through an online training section comprising of state, local Government and ward level staff in the agency.

    “The nation has seen the great efforts made so far by the Cross River State Government as Senator Professor Ben Ayade has been in the forefront in fighting the pandemic and that is why the NPHCDA is coming to support us today.

    “We will ensure that our health workers across the 196 wards are fully informed and trained and as well spread the information to the various communities where they work to ensure that Cross River State remain covid19 free”.

    The Director General further distributed the materials to various Local Government Heads and heads of facilities.

    Some of the materials given includes Veronica buckets, waste bins, training manuals for prevention and control of Covid-19, facemasks, thermometers and other Personal Protective Equipment.

    The presentation is coming on the hills of the recently conducted training for health workers across the state using the zoom application system, an innovation which has generated wide praise from all quotas across the state.

  • Ekpenyong Charges Health Workers On Surveillance, Says Nigeria Cannot Afford Another Disease Outbreak

    Ekpenyong Charges Health Workers On Surveillance, Says Nigeria Cannot Afford Another Disease Outbreak

    By Simon Ushie

    The Director General, Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Janet Ekpenyong has charged health workers in the Agency to step up surveillance and comprehensive health services as she said the state and nation can’t afford another disease outbreak.

    Dr Ekpenyong stated this as part of her closing remarks for the 3 days Virtual training exercise for Workers in the agency on best ways of managing the covid19 pandemic and other infectious diseases.

    Ekpenyong said the training was imperative for workers across the 18 LGAs as this will further spur them to offer world class services and make them abreast with global practices on managing infectious diseases especially Covid19 and lassa fever.

    “We can’t afford to have another pandemic after Covid19, and that is why I am so excited to have our partners organize this training for our workers, I personally have learnt a lot and am sure all of our workers across the 18 LGAs who participated in the training have gained newer insight into the management of the Covid-19 pandemic and for those in the rural areas, these messages will be passed across to them”

    On cordial relationship and quality training and supports from partners, the DG said, such relationships must continue and evolve into more result oriented measures especially as the state seeks to front line the quest to ascertain the status of Universal Health Coverage in the nearest possible time.

    “I want to thank the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Fiasal Shuaib for this innovation to place primary Healthcare workers pal by pal with their contemporaries in both secondary and tertiary facilities through this training which is not only timely but necessary as we join our hands in fighting the Covid19 pandemic.

    “I also want to thank the facilitators in charge of Cross River State from the NPHCDA including Dr AJ Oteri, Dr Valentine Obijekwu, Dr Chinedu Okoronkwo, Ameenah, W.H.O partners including Dr Raji Rilwan, Mr Santus Ugbal, Mr Julius Idoko(State coordinator, NPHCDA) and all staff of the agency”

    In his response, one of the facilitators, Dr OJ Oteri praised the DG for coordinating a wonderful set of health workers whose contributions and inquisitive nature proved a collaborative fight for the elimination of Covid19.

    “I have not seen a wonderful set of participants like the ones we have in Cross River State, the platform was interactive all through the 3 days of training and one thing am confident about is that you all will step down these trainings to those in the rural areas, and it shows that the state is ready to fight Covid-19”.

    The three days training had about 200 participants including heads of various programmes like the immunization services, Family planning, community and family health, mobilization officers, heads of Local government’s health authority and other stakeholders who will in turn train lower cadre officers in their wards and communities.

    Participants were taught various topics ranging from Covid-19 transmission, symptoms, how to control the spread of the disease, Methods of spread and prevention, facts and rumours about the disease, roles and responsibilities of health workers in managing the disease.

  • CRSPHCDA Takes Quality Health Care Delivery To The Steps Of Cross Riverians

    CRSPHCDA Takes Quality Health Care Delivery To The Steps Of Cross Riverians

    BY Simon Ushie

    The Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency has devised an alternative means of meeting the health needs of Cross Riverians.

    The recent development had staff of the agency (Primary Healthcare Centre Ikot Efanga) organized  a medical outreach at Efanga Etim Settlement in Calabar municipality through the directives of the Director General,Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Janet Ekpenyong who  urged  staff to take healthcare services close to the door steps of every residents.

    The head of the team and Officer in Charge of the Primary Healthcare Facility, Ikot Efanga, Mrs Christy Iwara said the team having recognized the huge contributions made by the governor, senator Professor Ben Ayade for all Cross Riverians to get access to quality and effective healthcare and the visionary leadership style of the DG, Dr Janet Ekpenyong, decided to engage in weekly outreaches to various settlements around them.

    Mrs Iwara insisted that with various challenges faced by people in accessing healthcare, the health facility with a mandate by the DG, has identified various settlements within Efanga Etim which  is the first to benefit from the gesture.

    “I must commend the governor, Senator Professor Ben Ayade for his huge contributions towards improving the health sector in our dear state and also our Pragmatic Director General, Dr Janet Ekpenyong whose visionary leadership has led us into this community outreach, she had mandated that everyone within our facility get un compromised access to healthcare by engaging in community outreaches and taking medical Care to the door steps of those who need our services the most”.

    The outreach had over 200 people who benefited from various services including Blood pressure check, sugar level, malaria /typhoid testing, counselling, sensitization and education on the covid19 pandemic and other infectious diseases.

    The team also distributed drugs, facemasks and hand sanitizers to members of the community.

    One of the beneficiary, Mr Efanga Effiong Okon thanked the governor, Senator Ben Ayade, the DG, Dr Janet Ekpenyong, Mrs Christy Iwara and other members of the team for the gesture as he said it has come to renew hope among members of the community and pleaded that the benevolence gesture be sustained.t

  • Ekpenyong Declares Open A Three Day Virtual Training For Health Workers Open In Calabar

    Ekpenyong Declares Open A Three Day Virtual Training For Health Workers Open In Calabar

    By Simon Ushie – Calabar

    The Director General, Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Janet Ekpenyong has flagged off a 3-day virtual training for health workers in the primary Healthcare Development Agency on how to manage the Covid-19 pandemic in the state.

    The DG in her opening remarks, thanked the Executive Director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency Dr Faisal Shuaib and other staff of the agency for the timely support of training health workers who are the frontliners in the fight against Covid-19.She urged the health workers to prioritize the training and develope their capacity for efficient service delivery.
    She urged them to be mindful of
    their healths by observing simple precautionary measures while attending to patients in their various facilities.

    Dr Ekpenyong said the state cannot afford to slow down in its approach in preventing the spread of the pandemic after getting nods up from the federal government (Federal Ministry of Health, National Centre for Disease Control, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency) for best practices in Covid-19 and other infectious diseases.

    She further commended the workers for their dogged nature in ensuring that all communities irrespective of barriers are reached through practical demonstrations of various preventive measures like hand wash, use of personal protective equipment and other forms of preventive measures.

    In his remarks, representative of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Oteri praised the coordination of the Director General and her team whose responses proved valuable and a confirmation of a Zero incidence case on Covid19.

    “These Cross River people are doing very well, they have eluded my expectations, all of your responses have shown that the Director General, Dr Janet Ekpenyong has done a very good job for the agency and for Cross Riverians as well.

    The virtual interactive training section had over 150 participants who will serve as trainers and coaches including heads of various units, Disease Surveillance and notification officers, Local Immunization Officers, infectious Disease officers across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state which lasted for 9 hours.

  • Maintain A High Level Of Professionalism And Ethics While Dealing With Patients – Ekpenyong

    Maintain A High Level Of Professionalism And Ethics While Dealing With Patients – Ekpenyong

     

    The Director General, Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Janet Ekpenyong has charged staff of the agency to maintain high level of professionalism and job ethics while attending to patients in their various health facilities.

    Dr Ekpenyong noted that it has become imperative for health workers to remain vigilant while on duty especially going by the rapid spread of the covid19 virus across the Nation.

    The DG made the charge in Anantigha, Calabar South Local Government Area while addressing health workers during their monthly review meeting of all Primary Healthcare services in the state, and charged them to improve their services and also take their health and wellbeing Paramount as they engage in their routine tasks.

    Dr Ekpenyong maintained that as health workers, they must remain vigilant at all times and well kitted both before, during and after attending to patients irrespective of what physical symptoms that may be presented for medical examination.

    She said with People sneaking into the state through various route irrespective of the governor Ayade’s effort in checkmating the influx of people from other states by deploying huge human and material resources , health workers must begin to have a behavioural change when attending to patients as she stressed that the life of each health worker remains most important to her and the state government.

    “As health workers, you are at the front line in any health emergency situation and the first to be hit with an outbreak if you don’t go about your duties with all sense of professionalism.

    “Currently, Cross River State is Covid-19 free because of God and the great efforts made by our Governor Senator Professor Ben Ayade in taking a proactive approach towards ensuring that our state remains Covid-19 free, but if eventually there’s a case in our state, the Primary Health sector may be the first casualties because we are the most closest to the grassroots and since Covid-19 presents symptoms like every other diseases, except we are prepared and kitted up as professionals, we may end up being infected as well.

    “As it is currently there is a policy that everyone visiting our facilities must wash their hands before entry, but before they enter, whoever is not wearing a nose mask or covering their nose with handkerchief should not be allowed into the facility because right now, everyone is a suspect”.

    On her part, the Director, Local Government Health Authority for Calabar South, Mrs Eme Archibong thanked the DG for her unrelenting efforts in fixing the Primary Healthcare Agency and attending to staff and facilities needs with all commitments and prompt responds when need arises.

    She assured her and the state of effective service delivery with all forms of professionalism in offering quality services to the people as she also urged heads of various wards to step up their sensitization drive on both Covid-19 and other infectious diseases.

  • EKpenyong Eulogizes Deputy Governor @ 69

    EKpenyong Eulogizes Deputy Governor @ 69

    By Simon Ushie

    The Director General,Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Janet Ekpenyong has described the deputy Governor of Cross River State, Professor Evara Esu as a phenomenon character and a goal driven personality as he marks his birthday today May 3rd 2020.

    Dr Ekpenyong who described professor Esu as one of Nigeria’s most enlightened and exposed deputy governors with vast knowledge in Agriculture, Economy and Health with his achievements distinguished as a lecturer, a researcher,a commissioner, a minister in the federal republic and now the deputy governor of Nigeria’s most beautiful and industrious state, says the primary Healthcare sector will continue to cherish his experience for an improved service delivery to the greater populace.

    She further described him as selfless leader who’s love for the state has made him worked for the collective interest of the state, championing activities in the health sector especially the Primary Healthcare Agency, which is considered most grassroot friendly and accessible to all Cross Riverians and residents in the state in order to achieve Universal Health coverage.

    “As Chairman of our state immunization taskforce, I am pleased to work with you, you have consistently shown great passion for the Cross River State primary Healthcare development agency, the experience and commitment you show daily has not gone unnoticed, as all along in the last 5 years, our state have continuously improved upon its immunization index, as children under 5 across the urban and in hard to reach areas have always been captured as a result of some of the policies and strategies you made the agency adopt in order for the state to achieve Universal Health Coverage in few years to come.
    I feel so delighted and overwhelmed that in my first major outing as the Director General for the Primary Healthcare Development Agency, you honoured my invitation to flag off the 2020 National Immunization Plus Days exercise in Uchu, Yala Local government Area, that sacrifice from you was a moral booster to all of our foot soldiers across the 18 LGAs, as it spurred them to give in their unreserved strength and efforts to achieve 100% coverage for our children, an effort that was commended by both national and international monitoring bodies.

    “Today as you mark the anniversary of your birth, on behalf of my family ,management and staff of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, I want to wish you our ever dedicated Deputy Governor, Health friendly, passion driven, a human with a phenomenon and exceptional characteristics, a recipient of various national and international awards including being merited with the title of An Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR), an erudite scholar and professor of Animal Science, a former Vice chancellor of the prestigious University of Calabar ,an achiever and a lifetime coach, a beautiful birthday celebration and more fruitful years ahead in sound health and wealth”.