Borno to discharge over 2000 treated malnourished children

Borno to discharge over 2000 treated malnourished children

Over two thousand children treated for severe acute malnutrition are set to be discharged from the Borno State Nursery village where they were admitted, the State Chairman of Emergency Management Agency, Engr. Satomi Ahmed has said.
The Borno SEMA boss who spoke exclusively to our correspondent in Maiduguri disclosed that most of the children that were admitted in the centre with severe malnutrition problems have been stabilized and their parents are earner to return home which is why the authorities are considering to discharge them soonest.
“There are about 2,011 children that were admitted at the Borno State Nursery Village which was established to take care of cases of malnutrition crisis that broke up in the State. Today, there is a drastic recovery in the conditions of the children. Most of them have been stabilized and are fully recovered and we don’t intend to keep them any longer at the facility because their parents are Esther to go back to Bama, their community. We will discharge them very soon,” Engr. Satomi disclosed.
In a similar vein, Engr. Satomi also informed that Medicines San Frontier in collaboration with Borno State Government through the state ministry of Health is treating another set of malnourished children at Gonge and Maimusari malnutrition centers which are managed by MSF with a total population of 814 and 1,612 children respectively.
The Borno SEMA boss also informed that through his initiatives, he has been able to organize SEMA in the state by the introduction of household feeding which according to him is more dignified that the central kitchen cooking system in the past where food were cooked with shovels etc.
“We felt there were too many complaints about food, feeding and sharing among the IDPs in the camp. Because of the several complaints, I decided that food should be shared based on household instead of the central kitchen cooking system. Food was been cooked with shovels and you see people lining up to collect food which was very undignified.
“With the introduction of the household feeding and food sharing, cooking in the camps has become more dignified and respectful. Apart from that, families cook and eat what they want any time unlike in the past, Engr. Satomi explained.
He added that his efforts brought about the involvement of thematic line ministries in the state like ministries of Health; Education; Agriculture etc in the intervention and management programs of IDPs in the state which reduced the pressure on SEMA and made the interventions more impactful.
Engr. Satomi disclosed that communication and proper coordination of INGOs in the state is still a challenge that his office is battling with. He therefore called on such organizations to liaise with SEMA in carrying out their activities so as to avoid duplication of efforts.
He also commended Gov. Kashim Shettima for setting up the Humanitarian Response Committee which is head by the State Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman Jida Shua, adding that the birth of the Committee has brought more rapid response to the needs of the IDPs in the state.