Politics
RESIDENTS of Okigwe Town Autonomous community in Imo have decried the deplorable roads and health facilities in the area and called on the Imo Governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma to come to their aid.
The President-General of the community, Mr Stanley Eke, made the call at a forum organized by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in collaboration with UNICEF to improve the knowledge of parents and caregivers on the five Essential Family Practices held in Okigwe on Wednesday.
He said that the roads which have become death traps impede on free movement of goods and services and had partly severed the area from neighbouring communities.
Eke said that a town hall building initiated by the community which was expected to accommodate their health centre had collapsed.
“We have serious road problems here except the Umuchima and the Ubaha Roads. All the other roads linking our clan to our neighbours have collapsed,” he said.
The president-general commended the NOA for its continued grassroots sensitization/enlightenment campaigns on essential family practices and obnoxious cultural practices in communities and urged the people to embrace their message.
Mrs Violet Igwe, Program Officer, Social Mobilization Technical Committee (SOMTEC) said the programme was at the instance of the World Development Committee which placed serious emphasis on cleanliness, environmental sanitation and provision of health services at the door steps.
Igwe highlighted the importance of functional health centres at the grassroots adding that provision of such facility would stem the spread of diseases.
“World Development Committee ensures the functionality of the health centres in every community for enhanced healthcare delivery services,” she said.
She urged the women to ensure full immunization of their babies against the child-killer diseases.
Igwe also enjoined the president-general of the community to take up the challenge and ensure that a health centre was realized in no distant time.
Mrs Ngozi Dike, Imo State UNICEF Consultant, who spoke on the theme of the meeting “Improve the Knowledge of Mothers, Parents and Care-givers on Essential Family Practices as stated by UNICEF” enumerated the benefits of exclusive breast feeding for both the baby and mother.
She said that breast feeding could be stored at room temperature for up to eight hours in a clean covered container without it going bad.
Dike said that breast milk remained the best food for babies in the first six months of life.
She said that parents and caregivers should be able to know when their children were sick and needed treatment outside the home as well as recognised the conditions that could endanger the lives of their children.
According to the UNICEF consultant, seeking care timely and appropriately is of paramount importance to prevent complications.
Dike also stressed the importance of hand washing, ante natal care, family and community support during pregnancy and after delivery as well as exclusive breastfeeding.
NAN
– Dec. 9, 2020 @ 18:56 GMT |
Tags: Community decries deplorable road health facilities in Imo
