Dr. Linda Ayade Urges Pregnant Women To Prioritize Their Health

The wife of Cross River State Governor, Dr.
(Mrs.) Linda Ayade has urged pregnant
women to prioritize their health by
ensuring that they take the recommended
vitamins and immunization as well as
attend ante-natal to learn about their
bodies and the new life growing inside
them.



Dr Ayade who made this assertion during
the flag off ceremony of the Maternal
Newborn and Child Health week held at
Odukpani revealed that the Public Health
Centres have recorded tremendous
increase in ante-natal attendance, and
advised the women to always insist on
being attended to by skilled midwives.



Dr. Ayade disclosed that public health
centres can be found in all communities
across the State, emphasizing that it is
wrong for women to stay at home or in
churches for the delivery of their babies
while cautioning them to desist from
patronizing quacks to the determent of
their lives.



Continuing, Dr. Ayade commended the
efforts of the Governor of Cross River
State, Senator Ben Ayade for his giant
strides and genuine interest in the health
of Cross Riverians by strengthening the
Primary Health Care Development Agency
with the employment and deployment of
Eighteen (18) Doctors across the Eighteen
Local Government Areas.



Also speaking, the Commissioner for
Health, Dr Mrs. Inyang Asibong stated that
maternal mortality rate is on the increase
and as such, the Ministry of Health has
been working tirelessly to ensure proper
sensitization on the need for women to
access medical services which is made
free for both pregnant women and
nursing mothers as well as children under
the age five (5).



In the same vein, the Director General
Primary Health Care Development Agency,
Dr. Beta Edu, revealed that the Maternal
Newborn and Child Health Week is a yearly
event targeted at improving the health of
children and mothers.



She expressed
gratitude to Governor Ayade for
implementing the ‘Ayadecare’ which has
enabled over five thousand six hundred
and eighty mothers to have access to free
health services for the period of more
than one year now.



Earlier in his remarks, the Head of Local
Government Administration, Mr. Christian
Ita stated that it was the first time the
event was taking place in Odukpani, and
enumerating the challenges facing the
health sector in Odukpani to include:
shortage of security and medical
personnel’s.



He expressed hope that this
year’s MNCH week would attract possible
solutions to these challenges.



On his part, the Chairman, House
Committee on Health, Hon. Ekpo Ekpo
Bassey in a good will message, thanked
the wife of the Governor for her practical
demonstration of love for women and
children through her coordinated efforts
and strategies geared towards the
reduction of Maternal and Infant Mortality
Rate.



He assured that the House of
Assembly would continue to improve on
the appropriation of the health care sector
as it would help to reduce the mortality
rate to the barest minimum.



Highpoint of the event was the
presentation of delivery kits to pregnant
women and immunization of children.



Those present included: the Commissioner
for Women Affairs, Hon. Stella Odey; wife
of the Speaker of the State House of
Assembly, Barr. (Mrs.) Bintu Gaul; General
Manager Cross River Broadcasting
Corporation, Dr. (Mrs.) Teresa Essien;
Director General SACA, Dr (Mrs.) Rose
Eyamba, Traditional Monarchs; Country
representatives of UNNFA and
PATHFINDERS; pregnant and nursing
mothers; pupils; among others.


Source-Voplink