Efio-Ita Nyok|7 May 2016|9:16am
The 6th day of May of every year has been slated world over as Hypertension and Asthmatic Day. The 2016 edition of this august day was not left unnoticed especially by the government of Cross River State. The apex government health body in the state, Cross River State Ministry of Health, under the leadership of the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mrs. Inyang Asibong, outlined a set of activities to mark this year’s edition. Negroid Haven was there to cover the occasion.
The CRS Ministry of Health embarked on a medical outreach yesterday at Lutheran Church, Forsbery Street, Calabar South including Free Blood Pressure (BP) checks, distribution of Long Lasting Insecticidal Treated Nets (LLITN), blood sugar testing, HIV counseling and testing, distribution of free drugs, free medical consultations, etc.
According to Commissioner Asibong, ‘Today is the World Hypertension Day. So, we are here actually carrying out free BP checks on every body; but, because the thing about health is that health is holistic, you can’t just come out say, with Stignomanometer just to check people’s BP and go home. You know people will not actually appreciate that; so, what are we doing? We are talking about Malaria now: It’s a worldwide problem in Cross River State and Nigeria and we are trying to effect a 100% reach of distribution of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets. So, we are using this opportunity to come out and also distribute nets. We are having an outreach to church women, pregnant women including their children. You know children of 1 – 5 are usually affected by Malaria‘. The health boss cautioned against sleeping under Long Lasting Insecticidal Treated Nets (LLITN), but rather asked the mothers to sleep inside.
Concerning testings for blood sugar, Diabetes, hypertension, HIV testing and counselling, free medical consultations etc Commissioner Asibong explained that, ‘Apart from that we are also having testing for blood sugar; diabetes and hypertension —they are almost like twins, they go hand in hand; so, we are also checking for blood sugar. In fact, carrying out HIV counseling and testing because all these things are actually endemic with us right now…We are actually having free medical consultations; so, depending on your problem, we have drugs…depending on the problem‘.
A cross section of the recipients expressed their satisfaction to the state government. Deaconess Mrs. Aniema I. Essien who incidentally is the chair of the District Women Fellowship of the Lutheran Church of Nigeria and member of the Mother’s Week, said that, ‘I am really very happy, very excited. I want to encourage her, she’s been so good, so humble,…I want to on behalf of the women to really appreciate her for all she has done for us‘. More still, Dr. Mrs. Ini-Obong Andy, who is the President of the Women’s Fellowship in the church explained that, ‘I am really happy, delighted and I believe at the end of the day, women themselves will be happy about what is happening here today‘. Agnes Otobong Bassey, who is a member of the Lutheran Women Fellowship, noted that, ‘as you can see now, we are having the medical rhapsody that is been organised by out Commissioner of Health…We are very excited. Some of the women, don’t know anything about all this thing, we need to be enlightened’.
The occasion lasted into the night with Commissioner Asibong staying put.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroid Haven
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroid Haven
