The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mallam Habib Abdullahi has reiterated the commitment of the Authority to the well being of its employees.
Mallam Abdullahi stated this yesterday while speaking at the flag off ceremony of vaccination of all NPA employees against meningitis at the Marina boardroom of the Authority.
The Managing Director who was represented by the General Manager, Marine and Operations, Mallam Abdullahi Goje, noted that the Authority believes in the popular saying that the health is wealth and therefore will not spare any effort at ensuring that the entire workforce remains healthy.
While commending the medical division for their initiative, Mallam Goje urged the division to spread the programme to all port locations and the zonal offices of the authority.
In her welcome address, the General Manager Medical Services Dr C.I. Abama, announced that the division embarked on the exercise in response to a call by World Health Organisation (WHO) to prevent the spread of meningitis in some of West African countries of Senegal, Chad, Mali, Niger, Cameroon and Nigeria, regarded as meningitis belts.
Dr. Abama disclosed that meningitis is a serious infection of the meninges, the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, and that GSK Pharmaceuticals is involved in the programme because it is the manufacturer of meningitis drugs.
While listing the benefits of the exercise to include supporting employees well-being, reduction in absenteeism as a result of referrals, cost control, reduction of injuries and improving productivity, she thanked the management for its support for the division’s activities through approvals over the years.
In her contribution, the representative of Glaxo Smithkline Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Omolabake Okunubi lauded the efforts of the Nigerian Ports Authority, adding that the NPA management is taking a right step in the right direction.
She pointed out that about four hundred and fifty [450] million people across twenty-two [22] African countries are at risk of being infected by the disease because it is contagious and people are mobile,
She noted it is cheaper to prevent the disease than to treat it. Dr. Okunubi urged all NPA employees to give maximum attention to the programme.
Highlights of the ceremony include a brief sensitisation lecture on meningitis delivered by Dr. Abama and the flag off of the vaccination exercise by the representative of the Managing Director.
