Minister Wants Councils To Build Health Centres

Minister of Federal Capital Territory,
Senetor. Bala Mohammed, last Saturday urged the six area councils in the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to build primary health care institutions to
support secondary healthcare in the area.

Mohammed gave the advice at the launch of the “2012 Maternal and New
Born Child Health Week’’ and inauguration of the Owner Occupier Primary Health
Care Centre, Kubwa, Abuja.

The minister, who was represented by the Minister of State for FCT, Ms
Olajumoke Akinjide, said primary healthcare institutions would help reduce
pressure on general hospitals.

He said that the inauguration of the primary health centre in Kubwa was
another important milestone that residents in the community would benefit from.

He said it would also complement the existing general hospital in the
area.

According to him, the FCT administration is working hard to
significantly reduce, if not totally eliminate, the incidence of infant and
maternal mortality in the capital territory.

The theme for the celebration is “A Package of Care for a Healthy
Family’’, with the sub-theme, “Clean Environment: Healthy Mother and Child’’.

“FCT administration completely identifies itself with this theme and
will do all that is necessary to ensure that the goals of this celebration are
realised in the FCT.

“We hope that the idea of the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week
will go a long way to complement our on-going free ante-natal and under-five
health care programmes,’’ he said.

He said that the policy of free distribution of long-lasting insecticide
treated nets to FCT residents would be re-enforced.

He added that effective healthcare remained one of the fundamental
objectives and principles of the administration’s policy.

Mohammed said the FCT had achieved over
150 per cent increase in Vitamin A coverage and over 140 per cent in the
proportion of children de-wormed compared to last year.

The minister also announced the winners
of the 2012 edition of FCT Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week Competition
and said Abaji came first, Kwali, second, and Gwagwalada, third.

The Executive Secretary, FCT Primary
Health Care Development Board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, said that the new health
centre would improve the wellbeing of residents, especially pregnant women and
children.