Rivers State Government has expressed her desire to  localise the Cervical Cancer Screening Centres to bring its services closer to the people at the rural areas.
Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo, stated this when members of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), paid her a courtesy visit in Government House, Port Harcourt.
Banigo noted that government was determined to improving the health of the people through the provision of quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare to all its citizenry in the state, and commended the women for embarking on the cancer screening programme.
“I am glad that you carried out expansion of cervical cancer screening outside the Port Harcourt centre, by reaching out to communities, even in the riverine areas. This is commendable because not all will be able to reach the Port Harcourt Centre. It is necessary for us to make the vaccination available for our young girls and men too.” the Deputy Governor said.
Banigo also decried the poor level of sensitization in the area of breast feeding and urged them to extend their reach to the rural dwellers.
“As a country, we were recording almost 100 percent in breast feeding, but it has reduced to 17 percent.” I think you must take the challenge to educate and encourage our women to undertake exclusive breast feeding.” Banigo stated.
She charged the Doctors to bring back compassion to the medical practice to help restore confidence of Patients, while promising to assist them in their programmes to achieve set objectives.
Earlier, the President of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Rivers State Branch, Dr. Adebiyi Obelebra, said they came to identify with the Deputy Governor as one of their own and to express their excitement at her elevation.
Dr Obelebra promised to partner the Wike-Led administration in implementing activities that will promote the health of women and children in the state.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo has charged Environmental Health officers in the state to collaborate with government in its task of returning Port Harcourt to its Garden City status.
Banigo gave the charge when the Environmental Health Officers, from the state Ministry of Health, led by Mr. Kikpoye Philip paid her a courtesy visit in Government House, Port Harcourt.
The Deputy Governor who recalled their traditional role of “House to House” inspection, urged the sanitary officers to gear up activities that will put Residents of the state on their toes in maintaining the culture of cleanliness.
“I employ you to start House to House inspection of premises to ensure that our environments are clean and we must keep the people on their toes, to keep their homes, streets and surroundings clean and neat.” she asserted.
She noted the priority attention accorded the issue of environmental cleanliness, by the Government, that necessitated the appointment of a Sole Administrator by Governor Wike, shortly after assumption of office to tackle the huge refuse that littered the streets of Port Harcourt and its environs
Banigo lauded Governor Nyesom Wike and the Sole Administrator, Waste Management Agency, Bro. Felix Obuah for their doggedness in bringing sanity to the environment insisting that education and sensitization was necessary to achieve environmental cleanliness.
Earlier, the leader of the Environmental Health Services Unit, Public Health Department, Ministry of Health, Mr. Kikpoye Philip, congratulated the present Government on its well deserved victory at the April polls and pledged the loyalty and support of the officers to the State Government.
Mr. Philip noted the existence of a wide gap occasioned by depletion of Environmental Health Officers, as many senior officers are being retired without replacements.