INDHOEK – As the main focus shifted in direction of managing the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, important well being companies resembling routine immunization suffered a blow with many youngsters subsequently lacking out on their routine immunization.
“The difficulty of Covid-19 affecting our immunization was felt at a nationwide degree,” says Tomas Ukola, the Khomas Well being Regional Director. The routine immunization programme and maternal and youngster well being days had been disrupted primarily due to lockdowns and the decongestion occurring in lots of well being amenities.
“The truth that our well being amenities had been restricted when it comes to offering in individual companies as a result of perceived danger of COVID. All these programmes had been suspended,” defined Ukola.
Ukola additional explains that the Ministry tried to search out various venues for offering routine immunization companies resembling neighborhood halls, however this didn’t all the time work out nicely when it comes to attracting the eligible shoppers.
“We did attempt to decongest our well being amenities by discovering various venues to supply routine immunization in order that eligible infants and kids will not be missed. The choice venues the place we might supply these companies had been additionally restricted. We didn’t have a lot of a alternative when it comes to house to supply routine immunization. We couldn’t discover various areas to supply routine immunization as a result of we couldn’t supply these companies in a standard well being facility,” defined Ukola.
In the meantime, Dr Glennson Haihambo, the Senior Medical Officer on the Nankudu District Hospital within the Kavango-West constituency mentioned they attempt to incorporate vaccination within the session rooms when attending to sufferers.
“After we see sufferers we attempt to ask if they’re vaccinated not just for COVID-19 however extra importantly the paediatric sufferers for routine immunization. We additionally undergo their well being passports to ensure that they’re updated with the vaccination as a result of if we wait till nationwide vaccination days then we may have lots of people to cowl. But when they arrive for a easy chilly and flu we additionally verify if their immunization is updated as nicely,” defined Haihambo.
Nevertheless, when the Ministry of Well being and Social Companies established the Important Well being Companies Pillar with steerage from the World Well being Group (WHO) nation workplace, routine immunization companies slowly began selecting up. “We invested in youngster well being companies like immunization, and vitamin and the concept was to enhance the standard of care,” mentioned Dr Charles Sagoe-Moses, the WHO Nation Consultant. As well as, WHO has been instrumental in coordinating help from numerous companions to help Namibia in its response.