By Uzo Ugwunze
The Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State Executive Chairman, Chief Stanley Nkwoka has inaugurated a special health emergency response team.
The Chairman announced that the team would be on call throughout the Christmas season and beyond to offer first aid and assist accident victims.
Speaking during the event which took place at the Chairman’s office in the secretariat, Ogidi, Nkwoka said that Christmas period was associated with many accidents due to the hustle and bustle, influx of vehicles and human beings in the State and various communities.
He said that the health response initiative was timely and it was necessary to get prepared to save lives.
“This is a very good initiative, the Supervisory Councillor for Health, Dr Nkem Okeke is a square peg in a square hole and with the Director/HOD Primary Healthcare, Mrs Chinwe Okeke and the health team we are going to provide first aid and other forms of interventions to help accident victims.
” In a case of emergency, we urge people to call the emergency toll free phone numbers that will be announced very soon after this inauguration instead of taking pictures or videos. Every life matters,” Nkwoka said.
The Supervisory Councillor for Health, Dr Okeke, said his duty in line with the passions and aspiration of the Mayor is to help improve the wellbeing and healthcare of Umu Idemili.
He noted that taking proactive measures in the health sector is the top priority of his office.
“As the yuletide is approaching we do have incidents of accidents, people collapsing suddenly and dying and various forms of domestic accidents without interventions. So, this time around we have to make sure our basic healthcare intervention is in order.
“This period, communities do host festivals and carnivals, you find out that there will be avoidable accidents or deaths. We decided to localize our own emergency response team just as we have at the State level launched by Governor Charles Soludo and coordinated by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike.
“The Mayor has promised to grant our request to provide, ambulance, first aid equipment, medications and stipend for the health staff who will be willing to attend to victims even at odd hours,” Dr Okeke said.
Mrs Okeke in her comment, said: “In the past you saw people at an accident scene making videos of the victim instead of getting help but with this response team on ground many lives of the people in Idemili North LGA will be saved.
“As soon as we get any emergency call our health team will be there for intervention because the first way an accident victim is handled may determine whether the person survives or not.
“Our primary healthcare centers, General hospital and Teaching hospital Amaku will be open to attend to victims.”
The Chairman health committee of the Council, Nze Azubike Anowai thanked the Idemili North Chairman for accepting to sponsor the emergency response team initiative, urging people to support him and Governor Soludo for the good works, projects and programmes carried out around the LGA and Anambra State.
