Awka
Anambra State Government has assured flood victims mostly from Anambra West Local Government Area (LGA) staying at holding centres of prompt and adequate healthcare services.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike gave the assurance when he led his team from the ministry on an inspection visit to the two holding centres quartering Anambra West flood victims at Crowther Memorial Primary School Onitsha and Unity Hall Umueri.
The flooding in parts of the state had claimed one life, over-run over 30,000 households and displaced over 651,000 persons, according to official statistics from the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA.
Addressing the people at the holding centres, Dr. Obidike said Governor Chukwuma Soludo has mandated the ministry to continue on the spot assessment of the holding centres, with a view to ascertain their health needs, challenges and for immediate intervention.
“We are here with some team of medical personnel to make sure that everything was taken care of medically as well as ascertain the hygiene nature of the camp which is very essential.
“Governor Soludo mandated us to be visiting the holding centres in order to attend to the urgent medical needs of those at the holding centres,” he added.
The Commissioner on arrival at the holding centres distributed some cartons of drugs and insecticide-treated mosquito nets, noting that the ministry has put in place immediate medical intervention plans for flood victims in the state.
He commended the efforts of the Transition Committee Chairman (TCC), Mr. Felix Ikechi for making sure that basic necessities needed in the holding centres were on ground.
Dr. Obidike promised that government would send in more health personnel to the holding centres in order to ensure that flood victims are adequately taken care of medically.
Responding, the TC Chairman, Mr. Ikechi thanked the state government for coming to the rescue of Ndi Anambra West, and for the prompt response.
He said Government has put all logistics in place, and equally provide mosquito treated nets, drugs and medical personnel through the ministry of health.
A flood victim, Mr. Emmanuel Onwuadi from Igbokenyi Community and former Councilor said that virtually all the communities in Anambra West were submerged, noting that more people would be joining the camp soonest.
He thanked the state government for the prompt response, noting that in 2012 flood disaster, they did not receive the kind of attention they are getting today medically from the state government.
Mr. Onwuadi while commending Gov.Soludo for providing the holding centres with medical personnel, drugs, mosquito nets, others, pleaded for more government assistance in the area of Mattress as well as finding lasting solutions to the problem of flood in Anambra West.
As at the time of filing this report, no fewer than 600 persons are currently being quartered in the two holding centres designated for Anambra West LGA.
