From Uthman Abubakar, Maiduguri
The Rotary Club of Maiduguri, District 9127, has enlisted in the war against the enduring Cholera outbreak in Borno State, donating a consignment of essential medical items and drugs to the state’s Ministry of Health combat the epidemic.
The donation, valued at over one million naira, was presented today at the State Secretariat in Maiduguri by a delegation led by the Club President, Rotarian Abdulkareem Haruna.
The donation comprised 30 cartons of Ringer’s Lactate; 2 cartons of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS); 1.5 cartons of giving sets; 6 boxes of cannula of different sizes; and 1 carton of hand sanitizer.
The rest are: 2 rolls of spirit; 5 packets of Neogloves; 4 rolls of cotton wool; and One customized cholera bed
Rotarian Haruna said the initiative underscores the Rotary Club’s core mandate of humanitarian service above self, as the club seeks to support the government during this trying period of cholera epidemics that have claimed dozens of lives and affected thousands of residents.
Receiving the items, the Borno State Commissioner of Health, Professor Baba Malam Gana, lauded the Rotary Club for leading the non-governmental sector in providing critical support.
“This is such a wonderful gesture that the government and the ministry commends and appreciates,” the Commissioner acknowledged, noting that “the items donated form part of the critical medical drugs and consumables needed at the various Cholera Treatment Centers to save lives”.
Addressing the path forward, Professor Malam expressed the need for continued partnership.
“In terms of support, you’ve done that before, but I thought, you know, I will be a leverage by asking for more help. You have brought us help; we are asking for more so your team can participate in terms of cholera vaccination which will commence shortly, and also in terms of educating the public—washing hands, which can extend to even school,” he pleaded
The Commissioner highlighted that while the peak of the current outbreak is among adults aged 21 to 51, the state is prioritizing a comprehensive strategy to decentralize treatment centers and ramp up public awareness.
Concluding his remarks, the Commissioner confirmed that the donated items would be immediately deployed: “Immediately these items will be transferred to our vehicles and this will be taken to the cholera control center, one in Djemtilo, the other one is at MSF center, Ngarannam, where we will be able to make use of them immediately”.
Rotarian Haruna reaffirmed the club’s commitment to standing with the government, noting that the donation is part of a broader, ongoing effort to help Borno State remain free of health crises.
