RSG To Provide Mammography Machine For Breast Cancer Screening

The Rivers State Government has expressed its determination to improve primary healthcare services to secure the lives of the people by providing equipment that will facilitate healthcare delivery.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker gave this assurance yesterday while on inspection tour of health facilities in the state.

At the Elekahia Primary Healthcare Centre, Dr Parker said that government will soon provide a mammography machine at the centre to help in the screening for breast cancer.

He expressed delight that the residents of Elekahia are taking full advantage of the health facility and commended the doctor in charge, Dr Juddah Folorunsho for kick-starting the house to house healthcare delivery scheme in the area.  He suggested that the centre includes urine tests to help combat diabetes.

The doctor in charge of the Healthcare centre, thanked the state government for ensuring that the centre was put to use and pledged to see that all medical cases brought to the centre are all given full attention.

The commissioner also visited the Auto Disable, AD Syringe manufacturing plant at Rumuosi, where he also applauded the level of work going on at the plant.

He restated, that “we are determined to do all it takes to stop the transmission of blood borne diseases” by ensuring that only AD syringes are used in the hospitals.

He emphasised that the Rivers State government is promoting good healthcare management, saying that the use of reversible syringes in hospitals will no longer be tolerated especially now that government is training nurses on how to use the AD syringes and charged Rivers people to imbibe the culture.

In his speech, the Managing Director of the plant, Mr Jon Gunnar stated that reversible syringes are still being largely used in the Sub-Sharan Africa, noting that the practice is the major cause of one in every five new HIV/AIDS infection.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Mr Amenya Wokoma stated that the plant presently produces 1.6 million syringes per annum, while thanking the state government for all its  assistance especially in the completion and taking off of production at the plant.