Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has flagged-off in the state the 2013 National Immunization Plus Days Campaign against poliomyelitis, an infectious disease that causes temporary or permanent loss of feeling in the human body.

Governor Amaechi administered oral polio vaccine to two babies, Baby Faith Tom, one year and four months old, and Baby Pamela Engofa, aged three and half years to flag off the National Immunization plus days campaign against polio at the Degema Local Government Council Headquarters, yesterday.

The governor said he was leading the polio immunization campaign in the state in line with State governors’ decision to lead the polio immunization campaign in their respective states.

He also said his administration plans to make the polio immunization campaign a daily activity in Rivers State in the government’s drive to successfully push back poliomyelitis from the state.

”Let me say that the governors’ forum in our last meeting directed that all governors must lead the polio drive and that is why this is my second time of coming to participate. The other thing to say is I know I had directed that polio immunization should be routine, I hope you are doing that, is routine, then the next directive that will follow is that either Primary Healthcare Board or Ministry of Health should liaise with all local government council chairmen and ensure that those children that they have not immunized both in schools and churches and homes should be immunized on daily basis, he said.

Amaechi further gave the assurance that his administration would further boost healthcare services in the state by building a world-class referral hospital in each of the state’s three senatorial zones.

“Finally is to tell the people of Degema, we have agreed to build three new hospitals or to rebuild three new hospitals, Degema is one to cover the Kalabari areas, I think Bori is the second one and Ahoada is the third one and I have told you the same design we used for the Emenike hospital, let us bring it forward now, advertise for contractors and let us rebuild these hospitals so that it can become referral points for the three senatorial zones”.

Introducing the flag-off of the polio immunization campaign, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker said the Amaechi administration  was prepared to wipe out poliomyelitis from the state.

Earlier, the Chairman of Degema Local Government Area, Hon Ibigoni Daddy Pokima in his address said the people’s search for a healthy society can only become positive when leaders formulate health policies that provide quality health to the people. He commended Governor Amaechi for providing quality health services to the people of the State.

Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi has announced plans to grant autonomy to the newly established Primary Health Care Agency.

Governor Amaechi gave the hint yesterday while flagging off the National immunization  Plus Days campaign at Degema Town in Degema Local Government Area.

According to Amaechi, let  me join the man from Primary Healthcare Agency, Abuja, to appeal to Ministry of Health, to please, allow the primary healthcare agency be.

Further calling for the independence of the body, he added ‘ in my discussion with the Commissioner for Health, I say to him, the law separates the two… I say the law did not give him an opportunity to drag any child. He should allow this child to grow on its own”