The Executive Secretary Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Nusirat Elelu has charged health officials against requesting for monetary gratification from members of the public that come to Health Facilities to get their Covid-19 vaccines in the State.
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Elelu made the charge during a chat with newsmen on the ongoing COVID-19 Vaccination exercise drive in the state as well as the threat posed by those getting the Vaccination card without getting the Vaccine.
The Executive Secretary noted that Kwara State has joined the rest of the country to Flag-off the second phase of Covid-19 vaccination exercise at the end of August after the completion of the first phase of Covid-19 vaccination exercise.
Dr. Elelu disclosed that over One hundred thousand Kwarans got vaccinated with Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine during the first phase. Kwara state is currently deploying both AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines in the ongoing phase two Covid-19 vaccination exercise. Adding that both vaccines are given in two doses and we have so far completed the first dose and we are going to continue vaccination until the end of October.
Dr. Elelu stressed that her team has adopted a communication strategy which involved continuous engagement of critical stakeholders especially political, religious, traditional stakeholders and relevant professional bodies within the society in the state. These engagement which has yielded positive responses and as a result of which we receive several daily requests from organisations and communities that now want to take the vaccine.
She, however, reacted to the allegation levelled against some Officials of Primary Healthcare Agency of extorting money in exchange of vaccination cards from those that are yet to take the vaccine.
She said, she is not surprised that some people will want to get the card at all costs through illegal means without getting the vaccine and that is unaccepted if we want to win the fight against COVID-19.
She noted that the Agency will continue to inform the public that they should go only to designated health centres currently in Nigeria that would give them the right vaccine, urging the general public to get their vaccines before they can be issued card and also to ensure that their card is captured on the data base so that at the point of exit from the Country, the card will be scanned and be recognised in the data base of the Country.
The Executive Secretary cautioned that anyone that gets his or her card through the back door will not be recognised with the approved data base of National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
Dr. Elelu implored those that are yet to take their vaccines to do now that it is available and that the vaccines are safe and free to anyone above eighteen years excluding nursing mothers and pregnant women.
Dr. Elelu enjoined those people coming for the vaccine to maintain decorum and to be patient while on the queue and that they should desist from monetary inducement to Officials to jump queue because such practices will not help the system.
She reiterated that Covid-19 vaccines are free and not to be paid for, warning that anyone that requests for money should be reported to the Agency for appropriate sanctions.
Dr. Elelu, however, appreciated the Kwara State Government, under the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for spending a lot of money in ensuring that Health Facilities are renovated and better equipped with modern medical equipments for the benefits of Kwarans.
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