The Rivers State government had set up about 12 camps to accommodate the victims of the flood disaster in communities of Abua/Odual and Ahoada-East, which appears to be one of the worst-hit local government areas in the flash flood that ravaged parts of the country.
The poor sanitary condition of camps environment might have taken its toll on the health of the flood victims as 12 deaths have been recorded. The sorrows have been laced with joy as 11 children have so far been delivered in the camps. The births are being recorded in camps at Abua Central, Abua/Odual Local Government of the state.
Reports say most of the victims who died were those who fell sick, essentially because of the poor sanitary condition in the over-crowded camps. Medical attention in the camps was said to have been poor, and that aided the increase in the number of casualties.
While speaking on the ordeal of the flood victims, Chairman, Rivers State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Ibitrokoemi Faye-Kurubo, complained about the situation in the camps. He gave details of the challenges while briefing journalists at the opening of the 2012 Physicians’ Week in Port Harcourt Tuesday.
He therefore called for the deployment of more medical facilities in the camps to ensure better welfare for the displaced, adding that more deaths could be recorded if improved medical facilities were not provided in the camps.
“Drugs and other medical aids should be deployed to the relevant agencies in the camps considering the challenges being faced by victims of the flood disaster and to avert possible outbreak of epidemic and other water-related diseases in the camps.
“During our (NMA) visit to the camps in Abua, we discovered that 11 children have been delivered by pregnant women,” Faye-Kurubo said, noting that it was not the best environment for delivery.
Most victims have faulted the Federal Government’s categorisation of Rivers State as Category B when President Goodluck Jonathan, on October 9, announced relief packages for states affected by the flood disaster.
Rivers was classified into Category B states which were given N400 million. They believe the state was hardly hit by the flood and should have been in category A.
The four categories are Category A – N500 million, Category B – N400 million, Category C – N300 million and Category D -N250 million.
Although it was considered a thoughtful gesture from the Federal Government, many have expressed fear that the amount is not enough to take care of the victims even while in the relief camps, let alone rehabilitating their homes, which have been devastated by the flood.
Several bodies and state governments have however risen to the challenges posed by the flood and has made relief materials available for the flood victims.
