Health facilities across the country are currently experiencing an inflow, most of them malaria patients.
We, therefore, see the recent tour of health facilities in the country by the Health minister and senior officials of the ministry as very timely and significant.
The visit would, no doubt, avail the minister and delegation the opportunity to see for themselves what services are being offered on the ground, and how people are queuing for the services.
In fact, unconfirmed reports reaching this paper from the Wuli East District of Upper River Region and elsewhere in the country suggest that the health facilities in these parts of the country are currently over-stretched.
According to these very reports, many patients in those areas would rather prefer going to pharmacies to buy malaria tablets than going to hospitals over there, lamenting that there is a lack of drugs in such health facilities.
Whatever the case, the Health ministry should closely monitor the situation on the ground in the public health facilities, and help equip them with more essential drugs.
Indeed, patients can often be seen standing in long lines seeking for treatment, and some do complain that accessing the right treatment within a reasonable period of time is not easy in those remote areas, as at now.
Meanwhile, we advise people to keeping sleeping under treated bednets to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
People should also avoid sitting outside for very long periods at night, before gong to sleep as they may be bitten by mosquitoes.
Those who may prefer sleeping outside for a while at night must try to sleep under a bednet as well.
Health experts also advise that cleaning our surroundings regularly would help reduce the spread of malaria.