The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, says his administration is committed to improving the welfare of sickle cell patients.
The governor also commended eHealth Africa for donating Rapid Diagnostic kits to be used for detecting sickle cell genotype in the state.
The governor, according to a statement on Thursday, spoke at the commemoration of the 2019 World Sickle Cell Day, held at the Sickle Cell Centre in Benin City, Edo State.
He said incidence of sickle cell anaemia could be checked, reduced drastically and possibly eradicated if people took the test to know their genotype, especially before marriage and after delivery of babies.
He said, “We are concerned about the welfare of sickle cell patients in the state and will continue to collaborate with development partners to improve support to the centre.
“We commend the eHealth Africa for their donation of Rapid Diagnostic kits to improve genotype testing in the state. This is one area we are concerned about. We restructured the Sickle Cell Centre last year and some funds were made available to improve facilities at the centre.”
Programme Manager, Health Delivery System, eHealth Africa, Muhammed Hassan, said the Rapid Diagnostic kits donated to the centre would help in detecting genotype of about one million people in the state.
He urged government to increase the advocacy campaign to encourage people to know their genotypes so as to reduce incidence of sickle cell anaemia.
He said the organisation was partnering the Edo State Government for the deployment of the test kits across the state, and urged sickle cell patients to enrol for the state’s proposed Health Insurance Scheme.
The President of the Sickle Cell Club, Mr Aigbonoga Asekome, commended Obaseki for his support and called for speedy passage of a bill to strengthen the operations of the Sickle Cell Centre.
Do you know that the Edo state government have a sickle cell centre that caters for the health needs of sickle cell patients at a highly subsidized rate. Some medications there are even free.
The Sickle Cell Anaemia Centre, along Hotel Plaza Road, GRA Benin City, Edo State, is a health organization for services in improving the standard of healthcare of persons with sickle cell disorder, genetic counselling, prenatal diagnosis, newborn screening, leg ulceration treatment & transcranial doppler ultrasound.
Credit: Metrowatch
Courtesy: Punch
