The Edo State Government has urged residents to visit Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) close to them for routine immunisation for infants, screening for coronavirus (COVID-19) and other healthcare needs, as the facilities have been revamped to attend to the needs of the people.
Executive Secretary, Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EDSPHCDA), Dr. (Mrs.) Julie Erhabor, made the call during a one-day workshop for stakeholders in the state’s health sector, held in Benin City, the state capital.
Dr. Erhabor said the workshop was organised by the agency to sustain sensitization and social mobilisation campaign for routine immunisation, and other healthcare services offered by Primary Healthcare Centres including screening for COVID-19.
“We called for the workshop after identifying the importance of the media in passing the right information to the people in the state. This helps to check the perception against immunization and influence a change in risky behaviour of the people.
According to her, the COVID-19 pandemic is making people to avoid visiting PHCs to access basic healthcare services, such as immunisation which protect children against infectious diseases.
“We will not want to get to the point of an outbreak. We are just being proactive; we telling our people that despite COVID-19, the routine immunisation that takes place in our PHCs is still ongoing.
She said there is a need to debunk misconceptions that vaccines for routine immunisation are a ploy by government to spread COVID-19, which makes people shun health centres, noting, “We are asking them to come for the normal routine immunisation to protect our children and mothers.
Health Education Officer, EDSPHCDA, Mrs. Irene Uabor, said the training focused mobilising residents to access key healthcare services in PHCs, as it is important for parents to take their children for routine immunisation against measles and other deadly diseases.
Uabor said “For the past 2 to 3 months, the report reaching us is that parents are no longer accessing PHCs because of fear of COVID-19. We are here to ask the media practitioners to help us debunk the misconception.”
*PHOTO CAPTION:*
*S2_001:*
Executive Secretary, Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EDSPHCDA), Dr. (Mrs.) Julie Erhabor, addressing participants at a one-day workshop for stakeholders in the state’s health sector, held in Benin City, the state capital.
