The Federal Government has tasked Governors to increase the numbers of health workers in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) for adequate primary healthcare services.
They noted that some PHCs lacked human resources and infrastructure which have affected operations of healthcare services in the country.
Speaking in Ibadan during his inspection visit to some PHCs in Oyo State, the Executive Director/CEO, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib maintained that adequate human resources become necessary to have well trained and respectful personnel to attend to people at various health centers, adding that government is working with governors, commissioners and traditional rulers to ensure affordable and adequate healthcare services for Nigerians.
He noted that Federal Government has renovated over 4,000 PHCs in the last four years of President Buhari’s administration, adding that the government have also make sure they revitalise them, and making sure that the health workers embarked on periodic training so as to have capacity to delivered quality healthcare services to Nigerians.”
“Healthcare of Nigerians is our priority, that is why we are working with stakeholders at the national level in making sure that Nigerians are well treated with dignity and compassion whenever they access these facilities, they are well respected, and make sure they are giving medication and management that will make them recover from their illness.”
“Our ambition is to have at least one functional PHC per political ward across the country, no matter how big the money we spend into the health sector, it is not enough to spend money into building large tertiary hospitals, but also to revitalize PHCs by recruiting well trained health workers, making sure the workers are well paid, ensuring security across the PHCs and putting in place infrastructure.”
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He commended Oyo State Government, particularly the Executive Secretary, Oyo State Primary Health Care Development Board and directors in Ministry of Health for giving immunization to adults and children in the state.
According to him, looking at the data, Oyo State is one of the best performing States when it come to the stage 3.0 roll out of the integrated COVID-19 campaign which was launched in Abuja three weeks ago.
“We are very proud of the work that is going on here, and as part of the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency mantra around accountability, we shouldn’t only look at what is not working, we should also look at what is working well.”
“We are here today to encouraged them and commend them to the outstanding good work they have been doing, and telling them that Nigerians in general appreciate them.”
Oyo Commissioner for Health Dr Bode Ladipo described the visitation as an attestation to efforts of the state government towards affordable healthcare delivery which was one of the priority of the state government.
He noted that the state government is currently working on renovation of over 351 PHCs across the state, adding that all the PHCs shall become fully operational by the end of the present administration
He however said people in the state now have access to affordable healthcare service which is now at their door steps.