The Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, on Tuesday tasked the Federal Government on production of snakebite antivenom.
Yahaya who was represented by Deputy Governor Dr Manassah Jatau, made this call while declaring open the 106th regular meeting of Committee of Committee of Chief Medical Directors in Nigeria which is ongoing in Gombe State.
He noted that Kaltungo Local Government Area in Gombe, has preponderance of snakebites, adding that the hospital in the area serves not only the state, region but victims from other countries.
World Health Organisation on neglected tropical diseases says Antivenoms work by boosting our immune response after a snakebite. They are made by immunising donor animals such as horses or sheep with snake venoms.
Yahaya said, “May I appeal that the issue of the snakebite in Kaltungo which has history that is too long. Kaltungo is recorded as the community with the highest number of snakes needs Federal Government intervention World Health Organisation. The snakebite hospital is not just serving North-East but other Cameron and others.”
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Professor Muhammad Pate, who spoke virtually during the opening ceremony of the event promised to strengthen the Snakebite Hospital in Kaltungo.
According to him, government will consider local production as the demands increase periodically.
“Your Excellency we are really committed to how to bring succor to the people of Gombe State and the North-East on this important issue because it has been a challenge for many years. We will strengthen the snakebite hospital to see how to produce some of the antivenoms domestically. I don’t think Nigeria should rely in perpetuity on the importation,” he said.
On his part, Dr Yahaya Baba, Medical Director Federal Medical Centre Keffi, who doubled as acting Chairman Committee of Chief Medical Directors in the meeting said the essence of the Committee’s engagement was to ensure development through peer learning.
He said, “When you have good manpower provided for citizens, when you have improvement in patients attention it’s for the good of the citizens. We do peer revenue, and learn from each other. We are here to learn from his achievements.”
On the acceptance of African medicine, Baba said, “is not esoteric. It’s just that in this committee we work with what we can prove scientifically; while we are not against African medicine only those that have accepted scientific basis that we can use that’s what we were trained for.”
Also, Chief Medical Director Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe, Dr Abdullahi expressed happiness following the large turnout of his colleagues at the 106th meeting.
He said, “I feel honoured and great to see my colleagues from across the country who came to see what we are doing on order to improve the medical practice in the country.
“The people of Gombe State should expect hybrid performance in obtaining treatment from FTH.”
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that the highlight of the opening ceremony was the presentation of plaques by National Association of Resident Doctors to FTH Gombe CMD and Governor Yahaya.
