Health and Life Style
Collect Your Corpses now or else…
The Chief Medical Director, Ondo State Specialist Hospital, Okitipupa, has appealed to residents to collect corpses of their late ones in the hospital’s morgue or risk mass burial.
Informavores gathered that the state government on May 9 gave residents, who still have corpses at the state hospitals’ morgues, one month ultimatum to remove them for burial. googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js">
The government said after the expiration of the ultimatum, the corpses would be given mass burial.
Ogunfeyimi told NAN on Wednesday in Okitipupa that the effort of the state government was to decongest the hospital morgues, in order to curb outbreak of diseases in the state, even as the government was battling with COVID-19 pandemic.
He added that residents of Okitipupa were not complying with the ultimatum of the state government as they were taking the directive with levity.
According to him, our hospital morgue is over-congested and needed to be decongested of corpses to avoid another outbreak of diseases.
“As I speak to you, our people are not responding to these directives and ultimatum, but they will begin to rush when the ultimatum is less than a week.
“We are appealing to residents to remove their corpses as we can still give them discounts if they come within the time frame.
“We will not be able to help by the expiration of the one month ultimatum as all corpses will be given mass burial by the state government,’ Ogunfeyimi said.
NAN also reports that the state government has said that only 20 attendees including officiating ministers wearing face masks, would be allowed during the burial.
The government also warned that there would be no church or mosque services during burials.
Also, there must be provision of soaps, water as well as hand sanitisers for attendees, to contain spread of COVID-19. (NAN)
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Health and Life Style
Malaria Consortium Launch SMC Programme In Kogi
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The Malaria Consortium, an international non-governmental organisation, has partnered with the Kogi Government to launch a Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) programme in the state.
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Mr Andrew Okwulu, State Project Manager of Malaria Consortium, disclosed this at a media parley in Lokoja.
He said the partnership is part of broader efforts to improve health and save lives in malaria-affected communities.
Okwulu revealed that Kogi recorded 40,678 confirmed malaria cases among children under five, with 683 of them being severe in 2024.
He said, “Sadly, 12 children under five died from malaria, although the actual number may be higher due to underreporting.
“These figures highlight the urgent need for effective malaria interventions for vulnerable groups,” he said.
According to him, the SMC programme entails administering monthly anti-malaria drugs to children under five to prevent infection.
He stressed the need to tackle malaria, pneumonia, diarrhoea, and neglected tropical diseases, which still claim many young lives.
Okwulu said the programme is expected to boost the state’s malaria elimination efforts significantly.
He noted that the Malaria Consortium has operated in Nigeria since 2008 and launched SMC in 2014.
The organisation currently implements SMC in 18 of Nigeria’s 21 states.
He said collaboration with the state government and stakeholders will improve programme effectiveness.
Mr Matthew Orimodu, State Focal Person for ACSM, outlined major challenges facing malaria control in Kogi.
These include funding shortages, poor logistics, and inadequate human resources.
Orimodu suggested sourcing support from global organisations, government bodies, and private donors.
He recommended strong supply chain systems and technology use for monitoring and delivery.
Dr Salamotu Usman, State Focal Person of FAMKRIS Health Initiative, said her group is expanding malaria prevention in Kogi.
She said interventions include Insecticide-Treated Net (ITN) distribution and Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT).
Usman said the Support to Malaria Elimination Programme (SMEP) aims to raise awareness and knowledge of malaria prevention.
She added, “We want people to know the value of testing before treating malaria.
“Free Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) and treatment are available in health centres.
“Our goal is for everyone to become a malaria advocate in their community,” she said.
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Health and Life Style
Kogi Trains Health Managers On SWAp Implementation
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The Kogi State Government has trained health managers and planning officers on developing operational plans, with a focus on people-centered planning and effective implementation of the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) initiative.
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The initiative is in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and Partners.
Kogi state’s Commissioner for Health Dr Abdulazeez Adeiza while speaking at the close of the training, said the SWAp) initiative would strengthening the state’s healthcare system.
Abdulazeez, represented by the state’s Director Health Planning Research and Statistics, Mr Johnson Aiyedogbon, said it was geared towards rational, realistic, pragmatic and comprehensive plan that informs health budget for the Kogi people.
Abdulazeez added that the initiative marks a major shift towards a more streamlined and effective healthcare system in the state.
He emphasised that it would tackle chronic issues in the health sector, such as inadequate financing, staff shortages, poor data management, and insufficient infrastructure.
He stated that the aim of the training was to build the capacity of participants and ensure that planning is bottom-up, allowing for the identification of necessary interventions from the grassroots level.
This approach, he noted, would lead to improved healthcare outcomes for the people of Kogi State.
The commissioner commended the Governor for his commitment to transforming the health sector in the state.
He reiterated the state’s commitment to improving health indices and generating verifiable data to inform decision-making and drive positive change in the health sector.
In his remarks, Mr Luter Orkar, the National Facilitator, SCO, Federal Ministry of Health, commended Kogi State for its commitment to the SWAp initiative, noting that it was the first state to cascade the training.
Orkar urged participants to collaborate, develop the political will, demonstrate leadership, and own the program to take the state health sector to where it ought to be.
Dr. Emmanuel Bola Jonah, Desk Officer, SWAP Kogi State, expressed appreciation to the Commissioner for providing leadership and galvanizing support for the workshop.
Jonah reiterated the commitment of SWAP Kogi State to improving health outcomes and reducing preventable deaths in the state.
Jonah explained that the workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of health leaders in methodologies, problem-solving, and informed decision-making.
“The workshop aims to equip health managers with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively manage health interventions at all levels.
“It will enable them to plan realistic and achievable activities that benefit the people of Kogi State.
“Additionally, it focused on strategies for implementing the 2026 Annual Operational Plan (AOP) and prioritising needs in the face of dwindling international funding,” Jonah said.
He stressed the importance of people-centered planning.
Jonah emphasised that the ultimate goal of the training was to improve health outcomes and reduce maternal mortality and child morbidity rates.
He stressed that the planning process should focus on the needs of the people, rather than assumptions, and that the state government had invested heavily in the training to achieve this goal.
The partners commended the state government for prioritizing the health sector and assured their continued support to help the state achieve its health goals.
They expressed optimism that their support would contribute to the state’s progress in the health sector.
The workshop drew 65 participants from the 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state, including health, program and planning officers, monitoring and evaluation officers, and key stakeholders in budget planning.
Participants were urged to implement the knowledge and skills acquired during the training in their various areas, ensuring that the
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Health and Life Style
Doctors With Kogi Govt Cry Out Over Poor Remuneration
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Doctors in the employment of the Kogi State Civil Service, have raised concerns over the poor working conditions and welfare of doctors in the state.
The doctors raised the concerns in a statement on Thursday in Lokoja, under associations: the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) and the National Association of General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP).
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The statement was jointly signed by Dr. Olukoya Taiwo, NAGGMDP Chairman; Dr. David Omeiza, ARD President, Kogi State Specialist Hospital (KSSH); and Dr. Aikoye Daniel – ARD President of PAAUTH.
The associations appreciated Governor Ahmed Ododo for his unwavering efforts in repositioning the health sector, especially in the areas of infrastructure and Health insurance scheme which has benefitted the masses.
The associations, however noted that the welfare of doctors must be prioritised to achieve better health indicators.
“A more robust good health indicators can be achieved if the welfare of her members are adequately taken care of.
“This will translate into making the state a destination for health tourism,” the associations stated.
According to the associations, doctors in Kogi State face several challenges, including partial implementation of the 2024 CONMESS, lack of cash backing for previous promotions, and no annual increments.
The associations stressed that despite the Government blank approval of Conmess 2024 in November last year, the 100 per cent implementation remains a mirage.
They decried the absence of cashbacking of previous promotions for their members, leading to members stagnated on the same salary for more than eight (8) years.
The groups also lamented a notable decrease in the number of doctors actively practicing due to poor remuneration.
The associations are urging Governor Ododo to intervene and address these issues, which they believe will improve the welfare of doctors and attract more medical professionals to the state.
“We believe the chief servant of Kogi State, who is also a welfare-oriented Governor, will give necessary attention to these outcries,” the associations stated.
The unions acknowledged that Kogi State Health Insurance Scheme and other initiatives have led to an influx of patients to hospitals.
The associations, however noted that these programs will not yield optimal results without addressing the challenges faced by doctors.
The associations, therefore appealed to the Governor to examine the issues and address them promptly to improve the healthcare sector in Kogi State.
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