Aliyu seeks MSF assistance to upgrade Sokoto NOMA hospital

The Governor of Sokoto State, Dr Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, has called on the Medecins Sans Frontieres to upgrade the NOMA hospital in Sokoto to international standards.

The governor made the appeal on Wednesday during the 10th Anniversary and 2024 NOMA day commemoration, that held at Sokoto Guest Inn, Sokoto.

Arewa PUNCH reports that the NOWA Hospital is the Sokoto specialist hospital that treats the Noma disease which is a rapidly progressing severe gangrenous disease of the mouth and the face. It mostly affects children aged 2–6 years who suffer from it.

Aliyu who was represented by the Special Adviser on malaria elimination, Dr Namadina Ibrahim, noted that the NOMA hospital in the state is the busiest across the country.

He said statistics or records from the hospital have confirmed that patients admitted in the facility are not only from the state but also from neighbouring countries like Niger Republic, Mali, and Ghana, among others.

He said upgrading the hospital will create more room to admit more patients as well as encourage the training of would-be doctors of the disease.

The governor emphasised that NOMA is preventable which makes it easier to prevent than to manage.

In his remarks, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, while commending the management of MSF in the state for doing a wonderful job, challenged them to work towards making Sokoto a NOMA-free state.

The sultan who was represented by the District Head of Bodinga, Muhammad Bello, said he is ever ready for collaboration with the NOMA to make the dream become a reality.

Highlights of the programme were the presentation of some of the achievements recorded by MSF in the state, which includes the 1,467 major surgeries that have been done since inception.

“Formation of national surgeons into the pool, NOMA awareness training for the community target group and early detection through oral screening in schools and communities”

Others include, “Medical treatment for acute NOMA resulting in discharge without

surgeries, effective collaboration with state MoH, addition of NOMA disease to the WHO NTDs list as well as publications on epidemiology, KAP and Outcomes of NOMA.”

Sharing their experiences, some of the survivors, while commending MSF also called on the governments at the various levels across the country to assist NOMA patients.

Mrs Mulikat Okanlawon, appealed to individuals and corporate agencies to support NOMA patients wherever they might be, while also calling on every stakeholder to spread the good news about NOMA to the people at the grassroots.

A specialist with MSF, Samuel Joseph, MSF project medical reverent, expressed the need for collaboration between the government and major stakeholders in the state on the best ways to prevent the spread of NOMA among citizens.

He said since the disease is preventable, there is a need for everybody to promote a safe hygiene culture to enhance better living conditions.