Ministry Set To Rid PH Of Chronically Ill Persons

All is now set for the commencement of evacuating chronically ill persons from the streets of Port Harcourt following the launch of fund raising for the activity.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Tide shortly after the recent fund-raising ceremony organized by the “Strategic Committee For the Eradication of the Chronically ill On the Road, the state Commissioner for Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Mrs Inime Ifeyinwa Aguma said everything has been put in place for the take off of the programme.
“The ministry is up to the task of evacuating all the chronically ill persons from the streets despite the challenges that hamper the pace of evacuating them from the streets.
All hands are on deck to see to the end of chronically ill persons being paraded on our streets”, the commissioner said.
Represented by the Head of the Fostering/Adoption Department of the Ministry, Mrs Gladys Jumbo, the commissioner stated that all necessary facilities have been put in place to accommodate the chronically ill persons.
Also speaking, the Ag Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Barr. Young Ayo-Tamuno, stated that modalities have been put in place to ensure sustainability of the project.
“Firstly, to sustain a programme like this, you need a legal framework. This has been done”, he said.
Barr. Ayo-Tamuno further explained that another factor that would enhance sustainability of the project is that it relies on public/private partnership, with the involvement of notable Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs).
The MDAs, he said, include the Ministries of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation and Health, Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent De Paul, Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt, NOA, NUJ and Civil Defence.
The NOA boss noted that although the legal framework is still on-going at the State House of Assembly, there are indications that it will come through.
“With the fund raising haven been done, we believe that all is set to go on full scale to rid Port Harcourt streets of the chronically ill.
The project is a brainchild of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent De Paul, aimed at intervening and alleviating the plight of vulnerable persons, particularly, the chronically ill.
It is a public/ private partnership that stated on the 12th of February, 2016.
Earlier in his speech, the chairman of the occasion, Sir Davies Okarenu lauded all partners at the occasion and urged them to put their resources together to check the trend of chronically ill persons in Rivers State.
Sir Okarenu, who was represented by the former NOA Director, Mr Oliver Wolugbom noted that the objective of the committee was to sensitise the public on the menace of parading chronically ill persons on the roads/highways, to ensure that chronically ill persons are given medical care, rehabilitated, and re-integrated into the society etc.