By Shuaibu Tatu
Birnin Kebbi – The Kebbi State Government says it will deploy dental hygienists to primary and secondary schools to induct pupils and students on proper dental care.
Gov. Abubakar Bagudu announced this in Birnin Kebbi on Friday when he received a medical team that performed free medical outreach at the State Medical Centre, Kalgo.
“There is the necessity to improve dental healthcare among children by sending hygienist to schools to teach pupils proper ways of maintaining their teeth,” he said.
Bagudu assured that nutritional challenge facing some communities would be tackled decisively by his administration to further uplift the health of the people.
He commended the medical team for performing excellently and efficiently during the outreach, which he described as a major landmark of his administration.
“I use this opportunity on behalf of the people of Kebbi State to forward profound gratitude to the medical experts from Moses Lake United States the team leader; University College Hospital, Ibadan; Port Harcourt University; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, and home based doctors for their sacrifice to serve humanity through the outreach programme,” he said.
The governor urged the Federal Government to incorporate hypertension into the primary healthcare policy of the country in view of prevalence of hypertension among Nigerians.
The leader of the medical team, Dr Lateef Olaniya, called on the state government to check the challenge of dental healthcare and malnutrition among children which have been observed by doctors in the course of the outreach.
Olaniya however commended the State Government for providing free healthcare, saying Nigeria can achieve her target objectives if leaders have the same commitment to improving the health sector.
“About 40,000 patients were seen by doctors during the outreach among whom some underwent surgery, consultation, laboratory investigation, eye care, while others received prescription and free drugs,” he said.
While thanking Bagudu for his support, other members of the team, including Dr Micky Eddie and Dr Pamelu Harrold, called for extension of the outreach to three weeks to enable more people benefit from the free programme. (NAN)