N4m Drug Kits Purchased To Battle Meningitis – Gombe State

The Gombe State Government has purchased drug kits worth four million naira for the management and treatment of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) to all hospitals across the state.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Kennedy Ishaya, made this disclosure in Gombe on Wednesday while presenting the kits to the Managing Director of Gombe Specialist Hospital, Dr Arnold Abel.

Ishaya said the kits were approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the management and treatment of CSM.

The commissioner said the kits would be distributed free to all government health facilities, federal teaching hospitals, as well as private hospitals in the state.

He said that government had already constituted a monitoring committee that would be going round all health facilities to record and monitor the number of drugs given to them.

Ishaya said that he had the assurance of the Acting Governor, Mr Charles Iliya, that more of the drugs would be provided in the state.

“The moment we make a clinical assertion that a patient’s case is ‘suspected CSM’, he or she will benefit from the drugs.

“We are also going to buy vaccines and immunise people, who are within the reach group,” he said.

He further called on the public to always open their doors for cross ventilation, so as to avert the possible occurrence of CSM.

Receiving the drugs, the MD of the specialist hospital, lauded the commissioner for his prompt response and promised to use the drugs judiciously.