Facts emerged on Friday that the Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus and malaria have topped the causes of untimely deaths in Delta State.
Out of the 13 causes of death enumerated by the state government, at the Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba, including severe Anaemia, Meningitis, Gastroenteritis, Respiratory Tract Infections, Neonatal Sepsis, Protein Energy Malnutrition, Febrile Convulsion and Birth Asyphyxia, malaria scored high to beat prematurity, which was one per cent.
HIV/AIDS occurrence, which stood at 3.40 per cent in 2008, a year after Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, assumed office, dropped to 2.50 per cent in 2010, rose in 2011 to 2.60, and blown to 2.90 per cent in 2012.
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Otumara, who delivered his Mid-Term report in office, said despite the fact that his boss has expended N1.8 billion on Free Under-Five Health Scheme, malaria has killed many in the state.
Otumara said although Lassa Fever broke out in Warri South and Oshimili South, Measles in Oghara, Ethiope West, Oviriokpe and Okwejeba communities in Okpe Local Government Area of the state, Cholera in Kokori, (Ethiope East), the rumoured Gastroentritis and Neonatal Tenanus outbreak in Eku (Ethiope East) and Isheagu (Aniocha South) respectively, “well, on HIV and malaria, this is the reality of the situation.
“That is what we got on the field.
“But we can boast that in South-South region, even the country at large, we have the least.”
He said out of the 390 projects awarded between 2007 and 2011 by his boss to fast-tract health delivery across the three senatorial districts of the state within the three tiers of health institutions – Primary, Secondary and Tertiary, 248 have been completed.
He added: “The amount expended so far on hospital/health centre infrastructural development is N4,614,507,203.80 only, even as N5,463,776,470.82 only was spent on the procurement of equipment. These include the upgrading of four central hospitals at Warri, Ughelli, Sapele and Agbor. The Oxygen Plant and Reticulation of Medical Gases Pipeline System at the Central Hospital, Warri, Ughelli and Agbor alone cost N199,000,000.00.”
He said before the Government Hospitals in Uzere, Ubuluku, Onicha-Olona, Ogriegbene and Abigborodo and 259 other Primary Health Centres were made functional across the state, the sum of N789,000,000 was spent.
While he valued the drugs/dressing and other pharmaceutical goods supplied to the state under its Drug Revolving Fund at N3.9 billion, Otumara puts the corresponding revenue received during the period under review at over N2.1 billion, maintaining that N1.4 billion was spent on medical assistance locally and abroad.
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