The National Coordinator of Persons Living With Sickle Cell Disorder, APLSCD, Mrs Aisha Edward Mmaduagwu has described the newly consitituted Sickle Cell Monitoring Committee as a kangaroo Committee which lacks the necessary understanding of the sickle cell disease which includes numerous excruciating bone pain persons living with Sickle Cell disease go through on daily basis.
Mrs Mmaduagwu disclosed this to journalists during the monthly Renal Medical check up organized by the association for persons living with Sickle Cell disease at the Association home in Agulu, Aniocha council area of the state.
She stated that all members of the association felt betrayed and sidelined by the State Commissioner for health, Hon. Vincent Okpala by the action despite several reassuring promises made by him during his inaugural speech as health commissioner where he assured them that persons living with Sickle Cell disease now have a father in him as the state Commissioner for health.
She pointed out that the Sickle Cell law which has been passed by the state house of Assembly was explicit on how the monitoring committee should be constituted and went further to make clarification and provisions for the qualifications and members of the committee .
However, she expressed disappointment on how the state government represented by the Health Commissioner sidelined APLSCD and constituted a committe that is made of person who according to her does not understand what sickle cell diseases is all about.
She appealed to the state Ministry of health to dissolve the committe with immediate effect.
She also urged the state government to stop playing politics with life and health of persons living with Sickle Cell Disorder.
She expressed gratitude to Senator Ifeanyi Uba who commissioned their Orphanage home in Agulu and has been proudly supporting the association. She also appreciated the support of Anambra South Senator and Engr. Jonhbosco Onunkwo and others, otherwise, managing the Orphanage home would have been tough for them .
On her part, the Cordinator General, Miss Ebele Ezeobi, a Microbiologist, said they were stabbed at the back by the attitude of the health commissioner who went contrary to what he promised them. She also appealed to the state government to retrace their steps at the same time revealing that the association is loosing their members every week which according to her was as a result of lack of funding which was captured in the Sickle Cell law that was not made available to them.
Other Cordinators of Association of persons living with Sickle Cell Disorder who spoke to news men , including pregnant woman urged the health commissioner to dissolve the committe so it would be better constituted to involve them.