By Ladi Patrick Worried by the low coverage of polio immunization in Kano state, the Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu has ordered the sack of vaccinators in the state.
Chukwu expressed dismay at the performance of the vaccinators while reacting to the statistics presented to him by the Polio Emergence Operation Centre in Garki, Abuja, during a working visit to the agency.
He said “this is not the time to play so there should be no excuse this time if they are not performing they will have to go”
Earlier, while briefing the minister on the activities of the agency, the head of the agency, Dr. Andrew Etseno had informed that 73 percent of the local governments in the state had last year recorded less than 80 per cent polio immunisation coverage.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Board, NPHDB, Ado Mohammed attributed the poor coverage to the recent maiming of vaccinators in the state by suspected Boko Haram members.
According to him, “The issue is that after the killing of vaccinators last year in Kano, their morale dropped”, attributing the the low coverage to the security challenge that has bedeviled the Northern part of the country.
Dr. Mohammed however, assured that the NPHCDB would work harder this year to ensure that polio is eradicated from the state this year.
The minister had earlier visited the NPHDB, the SURE-P Maternal Child Healthcare facility at Area 11, Garki, Abuja and the Save 1000 lives project in Maitama, Abuja, all of which are under the NPHCDB.
The SURE-P MCHC was set up to support Nigeria effort on maternal child health care.
