C’River expands free health services for vulnerable groups

The Cross River government says it is establishing health facilities across the 18 local government areas to serve the elderly, children under five and pregnant women.

Dr Henry Ayuk, the state Commissioner for Health, disclosed this on Sunday in an interview with newsmen in Calabar.

Ayuk said four of the designated facilities were already operational, while efforts were ongoing to establish others across the state.

“The designated health facilities target people who cannot afford services and aim to make healthcare accessible to vulnerable groups.

“Services in these facilities will be free for the elderly above 70 years, children under five and pregnant women,” the commissioner said.

He said the initiative aimed to achieve universal health coverage and deliver the dividends of democracy under Gov. Bassey Otu’s ‘People First’ agenda.

According to him, policies introduced by the administration have placed the state’s health sector on a steady growth path.

Ayuk said Cross River had also emerged among the best-performing states in immunisation coverage, attaining about 75 per cent success rate.

“There are several other health interventions that have improved significantly, particularly in family planning.

“In family planning, we have recorded a surge, with more people now covered by the programme,” Ayuk said.

He said maternal and child health outcomes had also improved, with cases of obstetric haemorrhage significantly reduced.

“In the past, women sometimes died after childbirth due to severe bleeding, but such incidents have reduced considerably,” he said.

Ayuk also noted that cases of child stunting caused by poor nutrition had declined compared to previous years.

“When we came on board, stunting among children was high due to poor nutrition, but the situation has improved greatly,” he said.

He added that the government had reformed procurement of essential medicines to prevent the circulation of fake drugs in the state.