By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
In his quest at eliminating the scourge of malnutrition in Kaduna State, Governor Nasir el-Rufai has ordered that the Ready To Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) that is used in treating children ravaged by the condition be stocked in excess of required number.
The Project Manager, Kaduna State Emergency Nutrition Action Plan (KADENAP) Shehu Muhammad gave the assurance while responding to comments on the day two of the workshop organized by his agency for Kaduna based journalists in Zaria.
According to him, the governor, sensing that there might be shortage in supply if the essential supplement, ordered them to stock pike, so that the intervention by the state is not affected.
“After Governor el-Rufai admitted his state had cases of malnutrition, other states who were initially hiding it also opened up, a development that may bring about shortage in RUTF.
We have enough Ready To Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). The governor said we must have it in excess,” he said.
Muhammad explained that LGAs have been mandated that coordinators in LGAs be given N500,000 monthly, but the agency was disappointed that the fund was not been utilised judiciously.
“We called a meeting with health and nutrition officers in LGAs and her Excellency, the wife of the governor has read riot acts to them and anyone caught tampering with the N500,000 will be held,” he said.
He said some LGAs need to set up relevant structures in their Primary Healthcare Centres before they can go there with their interventions.
On why RUTF in use by Kaduna State us being imported, he said it was to ensure quality.
“Now in Lagos it is being produced. It has not yet been approved by NAFDAF and WHO, the governor said he can’t go for anything substandard so that’s why we have not gone for the local one which is cheaper for us. We have commissioned a compatibility test at research facilities in Zaria,” he added.
