By Ankeli Emmanuel, Sokoto
The Sokoto State House of Assembly (SSHA) has assured that it will do everything possible to ensure improvement on not only budgetary allocation but also release of funds for routine immunization by next year.
This assurance was given when the African Health Budget Network (AHBN) with African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) and support from Global Allaince and Immunization (GAVI) accompanied delegation of the Sokoto State House of Assembly Committee on health to visit Arkila Primary Health Care during their oversight function.
The committee led by it’s chairman, Hon. Kabiru Dauda and the House Committee chairman on Budget and Finance and others appealed to health workers in the state to always treat patients, especially nursing mother’s with care, love, patience and respect, adding such will give them courage to bring forth their wards for immunization.
Talking of challenges militating against immunization, the lawmaker emphasized that, all hands has to be on the deck to overcome the zero dose situation.
“We are here as part of our responsibility in the oversight functions and to also see for ourselves the extend of immunization coverage, looking at the consistent issue of zero dose in the State.
“And to help compliment the efforts of development partners, we will push for enough bugdetary allocation for immunization purposes and ensure release of funds and supervision to achieve the desired objective of a polio free State”, Hon. Dauda assured.
Speaking on his part, the Sokoto State Focal Person of African Health Budget Network (AHBN), Umar Garba Khadi said the lawmakers visit and the promise of improved budgetary allocation for immunization was a welcome development.
Umar Khadi who listed some of the efforts AHBN and other partners have been doing to ensure that the State attain polio free status, further appealed for the support of all stakeholders.
“The State House of Assembly has shown serious commitment to the health of Sokoto people as demonstrated by their promise of budgetary provision. Let the people also come out enmass to vaccinate their wards”.
Addressing the visitors earlier, the Officer in Charge of Arikla Primary Health Center, Hajiya Aisha Yahaya Isah said the hospital is always busy attending to patience from morning to night, adding however that, their greatest challanges remained no single admission ward in the center.
Continuing, Aisha who is a Community Health Worker (CHW) added that the Arkila PHC has 2 medical doctors, 6 midwives and over 30 volunteer health staff, submitted that they are doing their best in rendering services to patients.
