The Cross River state government has flagged off the Modified Integrated Medical Outreach Programme (M-IMOP) in 10 local government areas, with 800,000 children and over 200,000 women as target.
Flagging off the programme in Calabar, Monday, the state deputy governor, Prof Ivara Esu, said the programme would ensure that those in the hinterlands who are unable to access health facilities are reached.
“We are out to ensure that no child dies of childhood diseases. Due to this, we are strengthening immunization, providing free health services especially for children and women in line with government’s determination to ensure a healthy population,” he stated.
Also speaking, Hadiza Jubril, national facilitator for M-IMOP implementation, said over 3 million children remained un-immunized in the country, and hoped the programme would take care of the challenge.
In her remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu, said the State healthcare delivery team would use the programme to immunize, treat minor illnesses, perform minor surgeries, provide nutritional services on maternal and child care, amongst other services.
She said, “It is to strengthen the primary health care services as we will go to the grassroots to reach the unreached who need these services which are completely free.”
On her part, the Director-General of the Cross River state Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Janet Ekpenyong, said the programme became necessary following an assessment conducted in many States which showed some States had not done well in terms of some health indicators.
“This programme will ensure a greater percentage of children under 5 years of age are immunized and that pregnant women can easily access healthcare. It is an outreach programme. We are taking these services to their doorsteps.
“We have fixed health posts and what we also called mobile health posts, temporary posts like Churches, town halls, markets stalls which will be used for the programme.
“This programme will reach out to those who, probably due to COVID-19, have not been able to access healthcare facilities. Over 800,000 children, particularly under 5 years, and about 200,000 women are targeted to see how we could reduce maternal and infant mortality rate,” she stated.
