Rivers State Ministry Of Health

REORIENTATION WORK SHOP FOR LAB SCIENTISTS/TECHNICIANS, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND RECORDS OFFICERS

The Rivers State Primary Health care Management Board has warned Lab Scientist/Technicians, Community Health Officers and Medical Record Officers to be alive to their responsibilities or be shown the way out.
The Executive Secretary of the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board, Dr. Claribel Abam while speaking at a reorientation workshop for Lab Scientist/Technicians, Community Health Officers and Medical Record Officers at the College of Health Technology, in Port Harcourt.
Dr. Abam reminded the Health workers that despite the fact that they were the best people suited to do the work because they have the requisite skills and experience the Board will not hesitate to throw them out if they are found wanting, stressing that there are many people searching for jobs.
“Anybody who is not serious with his or her job will be thrown out of the system, nobody is indispensible” she warned.
She reminded them that it is the impression they give to their clients that determines how busy their health centres will be, stating that when patients are well treated they patronize the health centres better.
Dr. Abam, who stressed the benefit of team work, particularly urged records officers to be nice to patients since they are the first point of contact with the public, said health centres that are not functioning will be closed down.

COMMSSIONING OF ULTRA MODERN MORTUARY AT BMSH

The Rivers State Government has commissioned the newly constructed Ultra Modern Mortuary at the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH).
Speaking during the Commissioning Rivers State Health Commissioner, Dr. Tamunoiyoriari Parker reiterated the State governments commitment to ensure that residents of the state whether dead or alive are well taken care of.
According to him “in Africa when we take care of the living we also take care of the dead that is why we have gone the extra mile to bring this mortuary to an International standard”.
He said when Governor Amaechi visited the BMSH shortly on assumption of office in 2007 he saw the structure abandoned and quickly released funds for the completion of the project which is to be managed in partnership with a private firm Ashes to Ashes Limited.
If the PPP succeeds according to Dr. Parker “this will be replicated in all our General Hospitals”
Also speaking a consultant pathologist and the chairman of the mortuary monitoring committee Dr. Charles Amakiri described the commissioning of the mortuary as a welcome development because according to him the old mortuary has a capacity for 20 bodies but currently accommodates over 800 bodies, which is unacceptable.
He said the new mortuary is comparable to international standard and has a capacity to accommodate 142 bodies which will be expanded to accommodate 202 bodies within the next six months.
Earlier the Medical Director of BMSH Dr. Olukunmi Ijeruh had said with the commissioning of the new mortuary the old BMSH mortuary is now decommissioned, which means it will no longer accept human remains and called on residents to remove the remains of their loved ones in the old mortuary, after proper documentation and payment of the prescribed fees.

2012 WORLD BREAST FEEDING WEEK

The State commissioner for Health Dr. Tamunoiyoriari Parker has reiterated the fact that breast milk remains the one and only natural and complete nutrition for human infants.

The Commissioner stated this while speaking to news men in his office in Port Harcourt as part of activities to mark the 2012 World Breast Feeding Week.

He said breast milk is nature’s food for ensuring the health and quality of life for infants as well as through childhood to adult life.

According to the Commissioner the global strategy for infant and young child feeding serves as a road map towards a renewed commitment to exclusive breast feeding in the first hour of life to achieve optimal health outcome.

He said the first week of August is recognized worldwide as World Breast Feeding Week which is an initiative to raise awareness on the benefits of exclusive breast feeding.

The Theme for this year’s celebration is “Understanding the Past: Planning For The Future”.

The Rivers State government has banned the use of all conventional syringes in the state except the Auto Disable Syringe.
The State Commissioner for Health Dr. Sampson Parker stated this at the Central medical stores in Port Harcourt, where he had gone to ascertain the state of readiness preparatory to the commencement of a full scale free medical care programme for all residents of the state.