Experts in the health sector have described pneumonia as the major cause of mortality and morbidity, among children under the age of five years.
The Director Medical Services, Kano State Ministry of Health, Dr. Shehu Usman Abdullahi made the indication, during the closing ceremony of a five day medical workers training on pneumonia and use of medical oxygen, held at Sheikh Khalifa Isiyaku Paediatric Hospital, Kano.
Dr. Shehu, who doubles as chairman Kano State Oxygen Desk Committee explained that, the essence of the capacity building is to equip health workers, with the requisite knowledge, on the management of pneumonia and hypoxemia.
He highlighted that, forty five health officials across sixteen tertiary and secondary facilities, benefitted from the step down training which was cascaded to the state after the national level.
The director pointed out that, there was an assessment conducted on health workers on the management of pneumonia and hypoxemia, which is lack of oxygen in the system whereby children experience difficulty in breathing .
“For now we have three oxygen plants in Kano, Dala Orthopedic, Aminu Kano, and the third one at Muhammadu Buhari specialist hospital would soon commence operations “
Also speaking, Chief Medical Director, Sheikh Khalifa Isiyaku Rabi’u Paediatric Hospital , Dr. Binta Jibril Wudil described the training as apt, saying that the world pneumonia day, was set aside to raise awareness and inform mothers and caregivers on signs and symptoms to mitigate the deadly disease.
She stressed the need for parents, to ensure that their children are fully immunized, as the pneumonia vaccine is among the childhood preventable vaccines given to infants.
Dr. Binta maintained that, United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), would provide medical equipments such as pulse oximeters, CPAP machines and oxygen concentrators, to ensure effective pneumonia and hypoxemia management.
“Pneumonia is worse than Malaria and diarrhea”
Representatives of Federal Ministry of Health, and Oxygen for life initiative, Dr. Omokore Oluseyi and Rusikat Omotose, charged participants to make judicious use of the knowledge gained.
They commended UNICEF and Kano state ministry of health, for organizing the training by putting efforts and resources to make it a reality.
In her remarks, Health Specialist UNCEF field office Kano, Dr Shudat Basher noted that, UNICEF would not relent in its efforts of providing interventions that would move the state forward in terms of quality healthcare delivery.
She said, monitoring teams would be inaugurated to visit health facilities at least once in a month, and report back during quarterly review meetings to achieve the desired objectives.
“This is not going to be the end of our intervention. Monitoring teams would be inaugurated to go round and see if you are using the standard procedures”
The event tagged: A 5 day step down training of Frontline health tertiary, and secondary health facilities, on Pneumonia treatment Algorithm and Hypoxemia management in children: was organized by Kano state ministry of health in collaboration with Paediatric Association of Nigeria and Oxygen for Life Initiative with support from UNICEF.
KHADIJAH ALIYU