The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Kogi Chapter, on Friday, donated drugs to flood victims at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Kogi/Kotonkarfe Local Government Area.
Dr Kabiru Zubair, the state chairman of the association, handed over the drugs to local government officials at the camps in Ogbakwu and Edeha communities, Kotonkarfe LGA.
According to Zubair, “we decided to visit the IDP Camps in Kotonkarfe to support and sympathise with them and educate them on hygiene in order to maintain clean environment and avoid outbreak of communicable diseases in the camps.
“Today, we have donated drugs such as Vitamin C, anti-malaria, antibiotics to the camps’ clinics that will aid the management of some common diseases likely to occur in this kind of situation.
“We have also sensitised them on health education in order to avoid outbreak of cholera and other communicable diseases because prevention is better than cure.”
The chairman added that the NMA was also collaborating with the state government to provide manpower in the camps’ clinics, saying doctors would be on ground in all the camps throughout the period of the floods.
“As from tomorrow (Saturday), doctors will be coming to camp every day to ensure that patients are well managed.
“Those that have serious cases would be referred to general hospital Kotonkarfe or Kogi Specialist Hospital or Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja as the case may be,” Zubair said.
Mrs Zainab Ibrahim, HOD Health, of the council, who received the drugs, on behalf of the camp clinics, commended the NMA for the gesture, saying the drugs would be judiciously used for the intended purpose.
She appealed to groups, individuals, and organisations to come in and assist the flood victims in anyway particularly foodstuffs, mosquito nets and other relief materials.
Dr Shola Baoku, who spoke on health education, advised the IDPs to maintain clean environment, have a designated place for refuse dumping, avoid indiscriminate defecation to prevent outbreak of cholera and other diseases.
He also urged them to have a separate place to do their cooking’s while maintaining a sanitise environment, wash their hands always especially after defecating and be security conscious.