1000 workers trained on emerging infectious diseases in Lagos
About 1000 workers drawn from primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities in Lagos have been trained on emerging infectious diseases under a programme tagged Continuing Medical Education (CME) and organised by the state ministry of health.
The CME, according to Titilayo Goncalves, the permanent secretary in ministry, is geared towards enhancing the state’s preparedness towards prevention and control of the outbreak of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola, Lassa Fever, Monkey Pox and other viral hemorrhagic diseases.
The training, Goncalves added, is also to improve
competencies and relevance of health personnel, build robust relationship between them and clients as well as maintain a high level of professionalism in health service delivery.
She said: “The Y2019 programme with the theme “improving quality healthcare is organised for health workers to boost their capacity and enhance effective service delivery.
“The theme was carefully selected to set a landmark in providing quality health to the citizenry and I am particularly enthusiastic about it because there is need for all healthcare workers to be prepared for any emerging infectious diseases, have a positive attitude and mindset towards our clients and be well equipped to be productive in the face of daily stress”.
Noting that the best dividend of democracy any government can offer its citizens is the provision of quality healthcare which is made available, accessible and affordable, she warned that negative attitude of healthcare workers can make the delivery of quality, affordable and accessible health services a mirage irrespective of government’s effort.
Goncalves said that government has slated various training, orientation and capacity building courses through continuing medical education, seminars and workshops for healthcare workers with the believe that constant development of health workforce will help meet the dynamic health needs of the state being a fast growing city with over 22 million people.
She restated government’s resolve to leave no stone unturned in ensuring best practices in healthcare delivery, adding that new structures and facilities to ensure an efficient health care system were being put in place.
One of the guest lecturers, Akin Osibogun, a professor of public health and community medicine at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, stressed the need for health workers to ensure perpetual watchfulness over emerging diseases in order to prevent them from spreading.
According to him, there are various strategies the country can put in place to prevent disease outbreaks.
“A robust health records system will enable us to be watching the disease trends, and there is already an advance in technology of a vaccinology,” Osibogun.