Insurgency worsens health care delivery in N’East —NEMA

Health services have collapsed in states affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, a report from the National Emergency Management Agency has said.



The report, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Thursday, said that the insurgency had brought the health system to “total collapse’’ in most local government areas of Borno.

According to the report, 37 per cent of the primary health care centres in most affected local government areas have been shut because of the insurgency.

The report further stated that the existing health centres were overwhelmed by the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) requiring health care assistance.

It added that in spite of relentless efforts from actors to attend to IDPs, the need for emergency health support had become enormous.

“In spite of the of relentless efforts from actors on ground, the need for emergency health support are acute, especially regarding provision of health care for pre-existing conditions,’’ the report stated.

It also stated that the risk of epidemics was high in states affected by the state of emergency but that WHO in partnership with the Ministry of Health in the affected states was carrying out disease surveillance in communities that are accessible.

Meanwhile, the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Lagos State chapter, said on Thursday that it would install Circuit Camera Televisions to strengthen security in its motor parks.

The state’s Chairman of the union, Mr Tajudeen Agbede, told the NAN in Lagos that security officers would also be appointed for the parks.

Agbede spoke against the backdrop of the recent bomb explosion at Nyanya Motor Park in Abuja on April 14, which claimed several lives and property.