By: Ukongikwen Adie, Calabar
The Deputy governor of Cross River state, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey has lauded the medical organization known as Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) for West and Central Africa (WaCA) for all the collaboration in the health sector over the years.
Odey had extended the gratitude of the governor, Sen.Bassey Otu, and the good people of Cross River State for all the support and contributions of MSF to primary health care in Cross River state.
He noted that “health care is life, adding “it is reassuring to know that in a time in Nigeria when most medical doctors are relocating for greener pastures, you are dedicating your time and resources to help people in other nations”.
Odey assured the MSF delegation of the administration’s readiness to collaborate with and support the organization to take health care in the state to greater heights.
Earlier, Dr. Salha Issoufou, the Director of Operations of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) for West and Central Africa (WaCA)with headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire had commended the responsiveness of the state government towards health sector.
Dr Issoufou who was visiting Cross River State for the first time to see the Cross River project, was accompanied by Dr. Coulibaly Ouonna, Project Coordinator, Cross River State, and Dr. Anne Marie, Project Medical Referent, Cross River State.
“Médecins Sans Frontières (translated as ‘Doctors Without Borders’), a non-profit, self-governed member-based organisation, made its entry in Nigeria in 1971 as a result of the Nigerian-Biafran war.”
The organization’s main objective is to provide medical assistance to people affected by conflicts, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare.
The team is made up of tens of thousands of health professionals, logistic and administrative staff that are bound together by a Charter.
Their actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality.
Médecins Sans Frontières has been in Cross River State since April 2022, operating in Primary Health Care Akor and Primary Health Care Old Ndebiji.
The Project coordinator, Dr. Coulibaly Ouonna, enumerated several interventions which include MSF’s response to the cholera outbreak emergency between February and March 2023 in Abi and Obubra LGAs.
During that cholera outbreak, MSF provided human resources, supplies and consumables, capacity building for the Ministry of Health staff in the two LGAs and constructed staff quarters at both facilities.
In addition to these, MSF launched a scholarship programme to train 11 indigenes of the catchment population of both LGAs in Nursing, Midwifery and as Community Health Extension Workers.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Egbe Ayuk, and the Project Coordinator’s Assistant, Cross River State, Mr. Idorenyin lnwang were present during the meeting.
