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HEALTH NEWS

EDO STATE HAS RECEIVED SEVERAL THOUSANDS DOES OF OXFORD, ASTRAZENECA, MODERINA VACCINES ---- HIS EXCELLENCY GOVERNOR OBASEKI

BY LEO EZEKIEL

Speaking to the audience His Excellency the Executive Governor of Edo State Mr. Godwin Obaseki through the Chief of Staff Mr. Gbovo Iyoha stated that Edo State has received several thousands does of the Oxford, Astrazeneca and Moderina vaccines since March 2021 adding that the state is still receiving doses of the said vaccines in which over 130, 000 persons have been inoculated. Speaking further to the gathering he stated that prior to the conformation of the index case in Edo State a covid-19 task force was set up on the 29^th February, 2020 to coordinate all covid-19 response adding that he has overseen intervention in containing the spread of the virus as the Chairman of Task Force with strategic and technical input from health sector partners. 

He says again that on a daily bases members of this task force group hold a virtual meeting with him from the beginning of the pandemic till date adding that a multi-agency covid-19 outbreak emergency operations centre (EOC) has been activated on 23^rd March, 2021 following the first confirmed case in Edo State which signified the beginning of the first wave. 

Speaking pleasantly and uncommonly to the eclatic crowds at the presidential steering committee on covid-19 in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency ,(NPHCDA) in the South South Zonal Town Hall meeting on covid-19 vaccination in Nigeria at the New Festival Hall, Government House, G.R.A, Benin City, Edo State, he stated that in the first wave of the disease outbreak, they had both fixed and temporary (mobile) screening centres across the state as well as in border communities which assisted in revealing the strategies of their people and those of travellers adding that in the course of dealing with the pandemic, they had afforded a rare opportunity of recalibrating the state healthcare system. 

And, again he says that the second wave appeared in December 2020, with the second wave of pandemic, they further strengthened their structures and institutions to better respond to the new challenges adding that Edo State currently has four functional isolation centres: Stella Obasanjo Isolation Centre, Central Hospital Auchi, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) and the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) as well as four functional PCR laboratories in Edo Specialist Hospital (ESH) UBTH, ISTH and in Lily Hospital. 

He states that their cold chain equipment is in proper order and all vaccines remain under close watch from the point of receipt at the airport to the point it gets to the arm of the citizenry as he added that town announcers and key informants assigned across all the wards to disseminate messages on the novel virus to their people in the rural areas. He states that a very robust and efficient disease tracking and monitoring system that would serve them in the case of future public health emergencies as he added that healthcare workers were trained and retrained as there are vaccination centres and posts spreads across the 18 LGAs of the State, as well as additional 50 roaming teams and special teams to compliment the teams, supported by NPHCDA who moved to strategic locations to enable clients assess these vaccines seamlessly. 

Speaking to the eclatic crowds the Honourable Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire pleasantly and unimaginably informed that the vaccines are very safe and effective adding that the presidential steering committee on covid-19 vaccination exercise has already three different town hall meetings at Nassarawa, Adamawa and Lagos. He states that today Saturday September 25^th, 2021in a collaboration with NPHCDA that the South South Town Hall meeting is holding at the new festival hall, Government House, G.R.A., Benin City, Edo State in order to sensitize the general public of the uncommon values in taken covid-19 tabs. He clearly stated that about 40 million of doses have been received ever since the outbreak of covid-19 pandemic virus adding that most of these doses were received from Canada and Indian and as well as foreign government have graciously donated some vaccines doses to Nigerians government so as to be able to curb the deadly disease ravaging the entire global space. 

Speaking again to the audience he states that it has been noticed that children go to schools and from their playing amongst themselves they get infected and the same children getting back home infect  their parents and grand parents adding that the citizenry of the South South regions must pragmatically key in into the mission and vision of the presidential steering committee on covid-19 vaccination exercise to largely assist in spreading the cheering news that covid-19 vaccines are safe, effective and doubly assured for safety. 

Speaking further to the audience that comprise healthcare service workers, other practitioners, traditional leaders, religious leaders, market women and men, students of various levels, youth leaders from all the 18 LGAs and members of the fourth estate of the realm the honourable Minister of Health Dr. Ehanire stated that covid-19 vaccines are safe for individuals, family members, friends adding that all and sundry should endeavour to heed the clarion calls and appeals the federal government has been making that all Nigerians should take the jabs for effective life styles. He commended the governor of Edo State Obaseki for all his uncommon premiums he is particularly placing in the citizenry to take the covid-19 vaccination jabs. 

Speaking to the audience the Executive Director of NPHCDA Dr. Faisal Shuaib stated that the reason that they are gathered is to discuss covid-19 vaccination, address mutual concerns, reach a consensus, and support the on-going efforts by the federal and state governments to ensure citizens are safe and protected against the deadly corona virus adding that the town hall is in line with the principles of proactive community engagement, transparency and accountability of the presidential steering committee, under the able leadership of Barr. Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the government of the republic. 

Speaking further he says that they are driven by the conviction that it is not enough to offer vaccination to the citizenry, but, that they must also empower the people will the correct information they need to make informed decision about getting vaccinated against covid-19 as he pleasantly tells the eclatic gathering that this has the mantra of the Honourable Minister of Health Dr. Ehanire he says that they are all aware the global outbreak of covid-19 officially declared a pandemic on 11^th March, 2020 and the timeline in which the vaccines were developed have been followed by controversies, arising from deliberates misinformation by people who either do not seem to believe in the existence of the disease despite it devastation, or profit from misleading others on issues as important as health. 

He says that if they allow the health risks associated with covid-19 vaccination hesitancy to persist, they would not only have undivided their responsibility to the people they are leading, but they would end up prompting the great social and economic set back that the disease has imposed in the nation and the globe at large adding that this is not what they wanted as he added again that this is why they urgently need to rise up to the covid-19 challenges by arming themselves with the right information, be more responsible for their actions and protect themselves, their families, their communities against the deadly disease by getting vaccinated. 

He states that their success story in the eradication of the wild polio virus in the nation was not without similar challenges, populace were misinformed that polio vaccines were meant to depopulate Africa and render the citizenry infertile adding that misinformation generated wide spread hesitancy in the republic, but, as expected, the naked truth eventually prevailed and gladdingly as the citizenry know, wild polio virus has efficiently and effectively eradicated from the federation through vaccination while the children are alive and heavily fulfilling their careers and dreams.

In addition to the states that it is with the support of His Excellencies in different capacities, their traditional leaders, development partners, the media and their successfully eradicated wild polio virus on the republic and again, it is this same collaboration and solidarity that they would ignore the conspiracy theories, overcome covid-19 and celebrate recovery from its social and economic setbacks.  Speaking to the audience in his own words (Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the time of struggle. This is the time to pull our energies and resources together to keep our people alive and purse our collective dreams as Nigerians. As of yesterday 24^th September 2021, we have so far vaccinated 4,680,000 eligible Nigerians against covid-19 in Nigeria with 1,865,127 of these fully vaccinated with two doses. 

As you may be aware, this is below our target of reaching heard immunity and this prevents us from returning to normal living. I would like to encourage us to use our good offices and encourage eligible members of our community to visit the nearest designated health facility to receive the vaccine. All the vaccines are currently available in designated vaccination sites across the country and are safe and effective. In the course of the next few weeks, we plan to gradually involve the private sector as sites for covid-19 vaccination. 

This is carefully done in order to mitigate against sharp practices, but, we are cognizant of the need to gradually involve the private sector in order to reach our coverage). Speaking to the gathering Chairman House Committee on Healthcare Service delivery Hon. Tanko Yusufu Sununu of the Federal House of Representatives, Abuja States that the South South Zonal Town Hall on Covid-19 vaccination is very apt and extremely necessary as he states that this is fourth town hall meetings held thus far, as he added that they held a similar town hall meeting in Nasarawa, Adamawa and Lagos. 

He clearly assures Nigerians that the vaccines are safe and that they should all embrace this golden opportunities of inoculating themselves so that they would be free from adverse effects from covid-19 pandemic virus. He again commended the Executive Governor of Edo State Mr. Obaseki for the uncommon premium he has thus far displayed towards the eradication of the covid-19 pandemic virus with lofty efforts he has pragmatically put in places across the 18 LGAs of Edo State so that the Edolites should come forth to receive their jabs for their health merits. 

Speaking with iconblazemagazineonline the Executive Secretary Edo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ESPHCDA) Dr. Julie Erabor stated that the ultimate goal about the South South town hall meeting is to reduce covid-19 vaccination existence and as well as create community ownership and participate in the fight against covid-19 pandemic. Speaking with iconblazemagazineonline the Head of Local Government Administration of Oredo Local Government Area, King’s Square, Benin City, Edo State Mr. Kessington Usifo stated that the meeting is quite encouraging so that all the doubts and fears many people are having about covid-19 pandemic have been cleared adding that he and his family members have received the covid-19 inoculation. 

He states that he is using this medium to call on all the citizenry to come out fully and receive the covid-19 vaccines because there are safe and secure. Speaking with iconblazemagazineonline the Head of Local Government Administration and Acting Chairman of Egor Local Government Area Dr. Igbinigie Osaheni states that he has personally received covid-19 vaccines at Ring Road, Benin City when he called the shots at Oredo Local Government Area, that he took the jab on 30^th March, 2021 and again as he moved to Egor Local Government Area that he has received the second jab which he took at Psychiatric Hospital adding that he plays football regularly and that he is using this medium to call on all the workers of Egor Local Government Area and environs to come out and receive their covid-19 vaccines. 

Speaking with iconblazemagazineonline the Acting Chairman Esan South East Local Government Area Dr. Gregory Elimhele states that he and his family members have all received both the first and second covid-19 vaccinations adding that he is pleasantly gladdened with the South South Zonal Town Hall meeting which the stakeholders have been able to convince the citizenry the health advantages of receiving the covid-19 vaccines. He clearly states that he is sending a clarion messages to the workers of his Local Government Area to come out in their large numbers to receive their jabs. 

Speaking with iconblazemagazineonline Chairman Executive Secretary of State Primary Healthcare Development Agency Nasarawa State Dr. Muhammed Usman stated that the South South Zonal Town Hall meeting is to engage the people so that they would have adequate knowledge of covid-19 vaccines, to also know that the covid-19 vaccines are safe and effective as NAFDAC has thoroughly caried extensive researches on them and they have certified the vaccines to be ok and safe. He states that there are high risk of mortality among the citizenry and as a result this town hall meetings are helping out to put up elucidations so that fears and doubts would be reduced. 

Speaking with iconblazemagazineonline the Head of Local Government Administration of Esan Central Local Government Area, Dr. Charles Okpere states that the South South Zonal Town Hall meeting on covid-19 vaccines is actually welcomed because lots of lights have been thrown up for the people to see the need of receiving their covid-19 vaccines as he says that he is this medium calling on his workers to come out largely  and receive their jabs because he himself has received his jabs. 

The list of traditional leaders that gracefully attended the South South Zonal Town Hall meeting on covid-19 are endless but the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom Delta State His Royal Majesty Major-General Felix Agho Mujakperuo (Rtd) C.F.R. Mni dressed up resplendently in his royal regalia and his personal assistant and as well as private secretary Chief Akpobecha Napoleon decked out in all flowing white regalia with red beads to complement the outfit. The Esemwere Theatre Troupe entertained the audience with Bini deep rooted cultural and dance. They are four women as performance while they are three men who are drummers of a truth, they added effective colouration, at the South South Zonal Town Hall meeting.