Omaheke health directorate lauded for reaching targets

GOBABIS, 26 APR  – Omaheke Regional Governor, Festus Ueitele has lauded the Directorate of Health and Social Services in the region for an exceptional showing during the last financial year.
Ueitele, in his State of the Region Address (SORA) on Tuesday said despite the trying economic times facing the country, the directorate managed to achieve exceptional results in the implementation of its programmes, often surpassing its targets.
He said the region achieved a 93 per cent treatment success rate of Tuberculosis (TB), which is above the World Health Organisation (WHO) target of 90 per cent.
The region, according to Ueitele, also achieved immunisation coverage of 110 per cent Pentavalent and 110 per cent Measles on the targeted age groups of children.
“The directorate has provided therapeutic food treatment, aimed at treating acute malnutrition in children aged 6-59 months, those 5 to 14 years, pregnant woman, adults and adolescents, TB/HIV patients and those with chronic diarrhoea,” he said.
Internal assessment of schools under the Health Promoting School Initiative was also conducted with 23 out of 43 schools, which constitutes 53 per cent.
Ueitele said the ministry successfully contained the outbreak of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) and carried out measures to prevent the outbreak of listeriosis in the region.
One case of CCHF was confirmed on 06 February this year in the Gobabis district, prompting Government to declare an outbreak the same day.
“All the contacts (19 people) were monitored for the maximum incubation period. The outbreak was declared over on 03 March 2018 in accordance with WHO guidelines,” said Ueitele.
In terms of social welfare and rehabilitation, the ministry has managed to provide 57 wheelchairs, 14 walking frames, 55 elbow crutches, and 162 axilla crutches to clients, while 22 splints and 15 other assisted devices were made for 13 patients.
The SORA is delivered each year by the regional governors, in which they reflect on projects and initiatives of the government at regional level and outline the implementation status of national developmental programmes.
It is delivered shortly after the State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered by the country’s Head of State.

NAMPA