Other areas of advancement in healthcare delivery recorded within the period under review included: *Participation of 300 children in the study on the inclusion of zinc in the household management of childhood diarrhoea in Nigeria.

*Empowerment of 46 students with skills from the Adolescent Girl Nutrition Programme.

*Supporting two rounds of Local Immunisation Days, LIDS, in August and November 2007.

*Conducting a Child Health Week, CHW, in October 2007 with Igueben, Uhunmwode and Oredo LGAs coming first , second and third, respectively at the Baby Show Competition.

*Recording a coverage of 78 percent for DPT 3, which is above the nation’s set target of 75 percent.

*Conducting the First Round National Immunisation Plus Days, NIPDS, in January 2008 with 101percent coverage achieved.

*Conducting the Second Round NIPSS in February 2008 with 113 percent coverage attained.

*Recording a Wild Polio Virus, WPV, free classification for Edo State.

*Ensuring that all the 192 wards in Edo State have immunisation coverage of 75percent above by end of 2008.

*Firm foundation for secondary care services

At the last count, there were 34 secondary, government – owned hospitals in Edo State. In alignment with its policy of revitalising all sectors of the healthcare system, the Osunbor Administration recorded the following successes within the short duration of its stay in power:

*Commencement of full operation by the Stella Obasanjo Women and Children Hospital through the employment and deployment of doctors, nurses and other health personnel to the hospital.

*Employment and deployment of 19 operational staff by the state government to the National Blood Transfusion Service, NBTS, South-South Zonal Certre, Benin City, to ensure safe blood transfusion.

The package included an annual salary total of N8,981,380. 92 which the Osunbor Administration shouldered from July 2007 to October 2008.

*Disbursement of over N46.7m as financial assistance to 41 indigent and needy citizens for various medical treatments, locally and abroad.

*Rehabilitation of most healthcare facilities in the secondary healthcare category.

*Provision of 4 Nos 100KVA generators for the Central Hospitals in Benin City, Uromi and Auchi.

*Provision of modern equipment for most of the government – owned hospitals.

*Renovation, expansion and refurbishing of the Central Hospital, Benin City Mortuary, including the provision of modern refrigerated cells and units.

*Renovation works at Central Hospital, Auchi, which included: (1) Construction of Chest Clinic, (2) Perimeter fencing of hospital complex, (3) Borehole, water tank and stand and distribution / supply, (4) Construction of Medical Records Block, (5) Extension of Administration Block, (6) Repair of hospital equipment and general renovation of all hospital buildings.

*Sanctioning and closure of all illegal health institutions as a deterrence to the menace of medical quackery in Edo State though the Monitoring Committee of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, that was inaugurated in 2007 by the then Commissioner for Health.

*Establishment of a desk for the control of reproduction cancers at the Ministry of Health.

*Conducted, in conjunction with the UNFPA, WHO and AMEN Foundation (an NGO), a four-day free cervical cancer screening, treatment and training workshop from January 28 – 31, 2008 for health workers from the 18 LGAs of Edo State and the Stella Obasanjo Women and Children Hospital, Benin City and the Central Hospital, Benin City, 300 women, from all over the state were screened and the nine that tested positive were treated with cryo- therapy.

*Food and drug issues

In the area of pharmaceutical services, the Osunbor Administration recorded a lot of successes from inception to November 2008. These included:

*Re-positioning the Essential Drugs Programme, EDP, for the central supply of essential drugs and other medical items to hospitals and other health facilities.

*Ensuring the proper monitoring and evaluation of EDP services through the purchase and deployment of a brand new Nissan Pick-up van.

*Ensuring the supply of affordable and efficacious drugs through the EDP in the state.

*Setting up of Edo State Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods.

Mr. RAMSON UZUANGBE, a political anlyst, wrote from Benin City, Edo State.