By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Minister of Health Prof Isaac Adewole has directed the Management of Federal Medical Centre, (FMC) Gusau , Zamfara State, to as a matter of urgency set up a rapid response team in a bid to stem the current outbreak of meningitis in the state.
Adewole who paid a visit to the hospital on Monday, directed the FMC to activate a case finding mission to go and find cases.
According to a statement from the office of the Minister of Health, the minister told FMC Gusau that, “this is not the time to wait for referrals before you treat. You should go out and search for the cases.”
He called on the facility to assist in strengthening the Primary Health Care, PHC, system in the state in order to curtail the current meningitis outbreak and future occurrences.
Adewole who frowned at the picture of a girl receiving meningitis treatment on the floor in one of the state PHCs, which made the front page of a recent edition of a National Newspaper describing it as unacceptable.
“What I saw in The News Paper is unacceptable. They are human beings and not animals and we must treat them with dignity,” he said.
The Minister promised the hospital of the ministry’s support in ensuring that Zamfara people access health care and halt unnecessary death in the state.
Adewole who was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary Health, Mrs Binta Adamu Bello and a team of international development partners, later visited some meningitis patients receiving treatment in the facility.
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