The Federal Ministry of Health has established the Kwara State Oxygen Coordinating Committee in line with the provisions of the National Oxygen policy. In addition, the ministry organized a training session to enhance effective oxygen delivery services throughout the state.
Dr. Raji Razaq, the State Commissioner for Health, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Abubakar Ayinla, received the team at the Ministry of Health Headquarters in Ilorin, the state capital, for the inauguration.
The Commissioner expressed gratitude for the centralized initiative and the effort to develop the successes recorded in collective and individual interventions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasized that oxygen therapy is essential to the treatment of critical medical conditions and a top priority in the case management approach.
According to the Commissioner, the equipment and devices that came with the training would be deployed based on the outcome of the earlier conducted oxygen needs assessment to strengthen service delivery at both the Primary and Secondary Healthcare levels through the respective coordinating agencies/boards.
The team that visited, led by a Consultant from the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Mrs. Kelechi Nwanosike, coordinated the training of trainers session at the Ministry’s Training of Trainers Hall.
Executive Secretary of the Hospital Management Board, Dr. Malik AbdulRaheem, representative of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Michael Oguntoye, representative of Anaesthesia Department of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Directors and Programme Officers from the State Ministry of Health, and Chief Medical Director of the Ilorin General Hospital, were present at the joint inauguration and training.
In conclusion, the establishment of the Kwara Oxygen Coordinating Committee and the training of stakeholders on oxygen delivery services demonstrate the Federal Ministry of Health’s commitment to boosting healthy living in Kwara State.
