By Thompson Yamput
Jos – The Federal Government on Tuesday enjoined beneficiaries of the N5, 000 additional Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) to make judicious use of the money in accessing healthcare facilities that would enhance their healthy living.
CCT’s Head of Unit in Plateau State,Mrs Helda Noyel-Buenyen, gave the advice in Jos at a two -day training programme for 88 facilitators drawn from the state six local government areas .
Noyel-Buenyen was represented by the CCT’s Training and Communications Officer, Mrs. Lydia Salba
“The Federal Government in its magnanimity, approved additional N5,000 to vulnerable pregnant and nursing mothers in order to ensure healthy living amongst its citizens across the nation.
“There are Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), Clinics and maternities and hospitals spread across the state which are at the disposal of all, and should be accessed and utilised for optimum healthy living.
“It is in the light of this that we embarked on training Core Facilitators from the local governments who will go and train other facilitators at the community level to educate and enlighten the beneficiaries of these monies and other citizens on the need to access healthcare facilities within their domains.
“We are aware of the importance of having healthy citizens especially in the area of productivity for the attainment of the desired growth and development as a nation,“ she said.
Nobel-Buenyen said that the additional N5,000 given to the vulnerable pregnant and nursing mothers was meant to enhance their health and their unborn babies.
She said that with the Federal Government’s approval,the organisation would soon embark on the training of another set of 174 core facilitators from across the other 11 Local Government Areas of the state.
Nobel-Buenyen said that the Federal Government was aware of dangers associated with the five child killer diseases, and had quickly approved the additional cash transfer for the benefit of children from 0 to five years.
”What we want is to ensure that each pregnant or nursing mothers have the privilege of accessing a health facility near her where doctors or nurses can quickly attend to them.” he said.
Nobel-Buenyen commended the Federal Government for introducing the CCT initiative , which in the last three years had continued to positively affect the lives of pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Mr Jangkam Miri, Head of the Core Facilitators and Desk Officer in Langtang North Local Government Area, described the training programme as necessary and educative in promoting healthy living in communities.
“With the knowledge we are acquiring on the importance of healthy living amongst citizens though targeted at the vulnerable, we hope to take the assignment with the seriousness it deserves,” he said.
Miri called on the Chairmen of the 17 local government areas of the state to support to the programme to enhance the citizens’ health conditions,and for the state to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
(NAN)
