From Seyi Tayese, Yenagoa
As part of it efforts to make health system easy and accessible, the
Bayelsa State Government in partnership with the Global Fund and NCDC is set to operationalise the Event Base Surveillance Connect Centre in the Epidemiology Department of the ministry of health.
Health Commissioner Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe gave the assurance during on schedule visit to access on going finishing work on the facility and participants been trained to mann the site.
Prof. Brisibe said, it is a milestone of what the Global Fund is continuing to partnership with the state government to prioritize the state, that out of thirty-six states Global Fund is producing EBS Connect Centre facility and Bayelsa is picked as one of the twelve states.
He noted that this demonstrates the commitment of the government to create an enabling environment and also the drive with which the ministry is putting into what is happening, “because this facility has been there, with the hardware procured one and half year and we are getting it work”.
He noted that the concept of the government is to mainstream public health and advocate for health in all the policy and program in the state.
The commissioner really commended Global Fund for the gesture. “Not too long, we commissioned Oxygen Plant both in Brass and Sagbama local government areas of the state, and now we are witnessing another success stories from the same Global Fund of this EBS. As a state, we are greatful and I will personally write to thank them for considering Bayelsa State in there activities”.
Also speaking, Director of Epidemiology in the Bayelsa State Ministry of Health Dr. Abaye Biobele said, they coordinate all matters of disease surveillance , integrated diseases surveillance and response strategy, public health emergency management and sundry matters, saying they are in the department of public health in the Ministry of health.
“The facility is called Event Base Surveillance Center (EBS) Connect Center and it’s designed to support the surveillance system through Event Base Surveillance.
“With the adjunct of the EBS we can now get on structured information, informal information, we can manage rumour with better documentations with an electronic support and others.EBS actually help us to detect outbreak early, detect any public threatening disease and emergency early . Since it’s event Base, it is not necessarily means disease base.
“The system will enables us received calls from the public because the center is built in such a way that the lines will be made available to the public . Very soon, we will have free toll lines that will not be charged to the caller as people can call in to report any suspected case of any diseases, suspected cases of flooding , suspected cases of anything that poses threats to public health.
“The public can call, sent text or whaspp message to the line. It is not just a call center but a connect center, a multi media communication center to enhance our surveillance sensitivities and the commissioner is impressed with what we are doing and we appreciate him for that.
“It’s the responsibility of the Center for Disease control to provide the hardware, the computers, tables and others while government provided space, the staffs and some other soft things and training of staffs
“Bayelsa is one of the state provided with EBS out of the 36 states, the hardware has been provided over one and half years but with the current commissioner onboard we were able to put it to use, it will enhance our public emergency healthcare system”, he said.
