The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs)

  • Osun govt kicks-starts hospitals revitalisation

    The Osun State government yesterday started the rehabilitation and revitalisation of hospitals and Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the state.

    The formal ceremony was held in Ejigbo where about N300 million will be spent to turn around the hospital, provide equipment, drugs and engage personnel.

    The 3.2-kilometre road from the centre of the state capital, Osogbo, to the University of Osun campus, passing through the hospital gate, will also be rehabilitated.

    There will also be provision of water, staff quarters for doctors and medical officers and landscaping of the hospital.

    Work also began yesterday on the general hospital in Ifetedo in Ife South Local Government Area.

    Governor Gboyega Oyetola said: “Ejigbo General Hospital will not only be rehabilitated but will also be upgraded and fully revitalised. It will have full complement of state-of-the-art equipment, new children’s ward and medical personnel quarters.”

    The contractor was given three months to deliver the project.

    The governor said his administration remained resolute to building healthy citizens that will contribute productively to the socio-economic development of the state.

    Having been named the second in World Bank’s Save One Million Lives (SOML) initiative, Osun State got $20.547 million from the fund.

    Oyetola promised judicious use of the money, saying: “Because quality healthcare is one of the cardinal programmes of our All Progressives Congress-led administration, considerable efforts have been made since the party came to power to prioritise the health of the people.

    “Osun State boasts 57 secondary and 876 primary healthcare facilities, out of which 323 are focal facilities that will implement the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). This translates to one functional primary healthcare per ward.”

    The governor praised the immediate past administration of Rauf Aregbesola for spending N1.8 billion on renovation, rehabilitation and upgrading of nine hospitals.

    He added: “As part of efforts to expand healthcare delivery, our administration also instituted the Osun Health Insurance Scheme, while government makes healthcare affordable to its citizens under the scheme. It also pays premium for the vulnerable.”

    The ceremony at Ejigbo was witnessed by the traditional ruler of the town, Oba Omowonuola Oyeyode Oyesosin; the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole; House of Assembly Speaker Najeem Salam and Head of Service (HoS) Olowogboyega Oyebade.

    Others are: the State APC Chairman Prince Gboyega Famodun; the Supervisor for Finance, Mr Bola Oyebamiji; the Supervisor for Home Affairs, Dr. Obawale and the Supervisor for Works, Mr Remi Omowaiye, who hailed the governor for his commitment to the provision of infrastructure.

    The monarch urged the government to site a School of Nursing on the premises of the hospital after its rehabilitation because it was the original plan when the town gave over 50 acres of land for the hospital project over 40 years ago.

    Prof. Adewole acknowledged the commitment of the Oyetola administration to building on the achievements of his predecessors in all sectors to register the name of the state on the map of development across the world.

     

     

  • BudgIT: Nigeria needs N712bn to bridge healthcare delivery gap 

    BudgIT: Nigeria needs N712bn to bridge healthcare delivery gap 

    Nigeria needs about N712 billion annually to bridge healthcare financing in the country, a civic technology organization, BudgIT Nigeria has said.
    BudgIT, which is interested in ensuring transparency in government budgets, said this at the presentation of a report on Health financing analysis in Ebola affected countries: the readiness of primary healthcare centres ( PHCs ) to tackle diseases, in Abuja on Thursday.
    The report looked at financing of healthcare in five Ebola affected countries. The countries include; Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone.
    BudgIT’s Lead Partner, Oluseun Onigbinde, said Nigeria can achieve tangible investments if it increases its budget for the health sector.
    He said the 15 per cent budgetary provision for the sector was not enough to cater for the health was not big enough.
    Onigbinde said: “The budgetary allocation to health should be increased to cater to the needs of Nigerians as the health per capita is relatively low when compared to other African countries.
    “If Equatorial Guinea could do $663 per citizen, then Nigeria can improve from $118 to at least $300.
    “If the health budget is made to attain at least to 15 per cent of the national budget, as declared by the African Union, an additional sum of N712 (USD 1.9bn) will be needed to give the goal sum of N1.09 tn (USD 3.03bn), and Nigeria can achieve more tangible investments in the sector.”
    He urged the Federal Government to spend more money on capital expenditure.
    Onigbinde called on state governments to equip PHCs to cater for the needs of citizens in rural areas.
    “The federal government should spend more on capital expenditure, as the difference between recurrent and capital is wide. If Nigeria seeks to fund the health sector through borrowing, then transparency and accountability should be adopted.
    “Primary Health Centres should be adequately equipped, as these centres are often visited by citizens in rural communities. This will also help to reduce congestion in the tertiary health institutions.
    “State governments should strengthen primary healthcare to build resistance.. More advocacy in states because they are responsible for primary health care.
    “Teaching hospitals should be equipped with modern equipments to meet the needs of medical practitioners to tackle diseases,” he said.
    Onigbinde called on the National Assembly to activate the law which says one per cent of consolidated revenue fund should be allocated to the health sector.
    “The National Assembly should put an end to the power play by unreservedly activating the law stipulating that 1 per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund must be allocated to the health sector.
    “The political will to end health tourism will help the nation grow,” he said.
  • Revamp PHCs in your states, Health Minister urges governors

    Revamp PHCs in your states, Health Minister urges governors

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has advised governors to revamp and upgrade medical facilities in their respective Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs).

    Adewole gave the advice on Tuesday in Calabar during the Cross River Health Summit, orgnised by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Inyang Asibong.

    The theme of the summit is: “Translating Health Policies and Plans into Action’’.

    The minister said that the advice call became necessary following the dearth of medical facilities in some PHCs across the country.

    He said it was important for state governments to champion the cause of renovating and upgrading medical facilities for them to deliver quality health services to their people.

    “There is no need for states to establish new PHCs; we need to strengthen the existing ones by upgrading the facilities and training of health personnel.

    “The Federal Government will continue to mobilise resources to support PHCs with a view of achieving universal health coverage in the country.

    “The era of federal might is over, states must begin to develop their healthcare centres with a view of attending to the health needs of the people, ’’ he said.

    Prof. Ivara Esu, Deputy Governor of the state said that the present administration in the state commenced the rehabilitation and upgrading of PHCs across the state shortly on assumption of office.

    Esu explained that the state government had constructed modern healthcare centres in the hard-to-reach areas with a view to ensuring universal health coverage in the state.

    According to him, Gov. Ben Ayade places premium on the health sector in the state.

    He also said that the state insurance health scheme, tagged ‘”AyadeCare’’ sought to provide affordable health care service to the people of the state.

    Asibong said that the summit was organised to formulate policies aimed at improving quality health services in the state.

    She further said that the summit, a collaboration with development partners on the way forward, was a respond to the challenges of the health sector in the state.

    “The health workforce system in the state is being strengthened with the lifting off the ban on employment and the recent accreditation of three schools of nursing and midwifery in the state.

    “The high maternal mortality rate, improved maternal wards in hospitals, collaboration with development partners, regulation of Traditional Birth Attendants and others are some of the policies we shall be looking at today,’’ she said.

    She assured that her ministry would not relent in the reduction of maternal mortality , improving family planning and reducing the incidences of HIV-AIDS.

  • Sustained awareness will address issues of child abuse – Activist

    Sustained awareness will address issues of child abuse – Activist

    A Child’s Rights Activist, Mr Taiwo Akinlami, has called for a consistent and sustained campaign toward addressing issues affecting child abuse.

    Akinlami, also the Secretary-General, Child Protection Network, an NGO, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

    He spoke following the upgrading of 40 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) by the Lagos State Government.

    NAN reports that the state government had on June 26 announced the upgrading of 40 PHCs across the state to ensure that victims of all forms of sexual assault and abuse received adequate medical assistance.

    Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, the Coordinator of the state Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT), had said that the centres were empowered to render 24 hours service.

    According to her, the services include laboratory testing, HIV Counselling and Testing, Maternal and Child Health Services.

    Akinlami said: “It is a commendable development; because one of the challenges we have in addressing matters of sexual abuse is lack of prompt medical attention.

    “The courts do not accept medical reports from the private hospitals, but only government-owned hospitals, which are not many.

    “It takes a lot of times before the government hospitals can attend to victims of sexual abuse and in the process the evidence will be tampered with.

    “So, it is commendable that the Lagos State Government has upgraded these PHCs to handle those issues.

    “This will improve on the service delivery when it comes to child abuse and other abuses; the strength of this is that people need to be aware.

    “Therefore, there has to be mass enlightenment programmes; these efforts will help us to find a credible way forward when it comes to the protection of children against abuse.’’

    Akinlami, also commended the directive by the Lagos State Government to schools, health facilities, orphanage homes and recreational centres that they should adopt a Child Protection Policy.

    NAN reports that Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode had on Jan. 14, in an executive order, directed relevant organisations to adopt the policy to safeguard children against any form of abuse.

    Akinlami said: “Enlightenment will achieve prevention of any form of child abuse, because the executive order says we are taking seriously what the Child Rights Act of 2007 has provided for.

    “The main focus is to enjoin every child-focused organisation including schools, hospitals and orphanages to enforce child protection system.

    “However, we recognise that enlightenment is superior to enforcement; so, for the law to be enforced there has to be awareness.

    “If the law is supposed to govern people, it is important that people are aware of it. “

     

  • Lagos upgrades 40 PHC Centres to cater for sexual assault case

    Lagos upgrades 40 PHC Centres to cater for sexual assault case

    …Trains Health Workers

    In a renewed effort to ensure that victims of all forms of sexual assault receive adequate medical assistance, the Lagos State Government has upgraded 40 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the State to cater for all related cases.

    This is just as the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Primary Health Care Board, has stepped up efforts to implement the already launched the Sexual Assault Standing Order and Sexual Assault Evidence Examination Kit also known as rape kits.

    Coordinator of DSVRT, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi who spoke at a recent training session for health workers of PHCs, said the Centres have been empowered to render 24-hour service, laboratory testing, HIV Counselling and Testing, and Maternal and Child Health Services.

    She said participants at the training were drawn from 10 areas including Agege Local Government Area (LGA), Orile Agege Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Ajeromi Ifelodun LGA, Ifelodun LCDA, Apapa LGA, Apapa Iganmu LCDA, Badagry LGA, Olorunda LCDA, Ibeju Lekki LGA and Lekki LCDA.

    She said the continuous trainings and upgrade of health facilities was in furtherance of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s desire to ensuring that all survivors of sexual assault, irrespective of class or means, can receive comprehensive medical care at no cost.

    She recalled that the rape kits, also known as Sexual Assault Evidence Examination Kits were launched in 2016 and are currently available at all comprehensive PHC Centres.

    “The Rape Kits contain the necessary instruments used for evidence examination some of which include microscope slides, saline water, swabs, materials for blood samples, comb, paper sheets for evidence collection such as clothing fibres and hairs, nail pick, gloves. The documentation forms which include the consent form and Patient History/ Sexual Assault History are also included in the rape kit,” Vivour-Adeniyi said.

    She expressed optimism that the training would ultimately improve the quality and documentation of evidence collection for sexual assault patients.

    According to her, the training was organised by the Lagos State DSVRT with technical support from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

    “In the unfortunate case of a sexual assault, members of the public are advised to go to the closest comprehensive Primary Health Care Centre to receive optimal care,” the DSVRT Coordinator said.

  • Lagos moves to revamp primary healthcare centres

    Lagos moves to revamp primary healthcare centres

    The Lagos State Government on Monday stepped up its monitoring of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the state just as it read the riot act to staff who show nonchalant attitude to duty.

    The monitoring is part of government’s move to reposition the PHCs, make them functional and accessible to grassroots people in order to decongest the secondary healthcare facilities.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Healthcare, Dr. Femi Onanuga paid unscheduled visit to PHCs in Epe to understudy their workings, shortcomings and find ways to salvage situations in them.

    PHCs visited include Epe, Mojoda, Afuye, Eredo, Odomola, among others.

    Onanuga, who frowned at some unwholesome activities in some of the PHCs, such as staff not reporting for work on time, bushy environment, among others, said government embarked on paying unscheduled visits to PHCs across the state since January, 2016 and that over 90 PHCs of the 276 PHCs and health posts had been visited.

    He said government expressed satisfaction with the level of progress at the PHCs but assured that the gaps identified would be fixed.

    Onanuga stated that the essence of the monitoring “is to see what we have on ground, the governor has passion for health of the people. We want to monitor the PHCs and see what we have on ground and ensure that the staff is working.

    “We don’t want to see a situation where we say we have six staff in a particular PHC, only two are coming to work, this is not acceptable.”

    The special adviser said after the PHCs had been monitored, government would carry out an evaluation and then fix the shortcomings identified in them.

    According to him, the essence “is that if we have the PHCs working properly, the pressure on the secondary health facilities would be reduced.”

    He warned that government would not hesitate to sanction health workers who showed nonchalant attitude to duty through late coming and absenteeism from work.

    Onanuga urged the staff to report to work at all time and be punctual, warning that government would not hesitate to sanction recalcitrant workers bent on tarnishing the image of the state government.

    “They should realize that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is one of the few governors in the country paying salaries as at when due. They should come to work and do their work because there are no jobs outside there, they must therefore cooperate with and support the governor. Anyone who does not come to work will be sanctioned,” he warned.

    On his part, the Executive Secretary, Epe Local Government, Ahmed Seriki said the council was doing much to support the State Government in repositioning the PHCs in the area.

    He said two PHCs were currently running 24-hour service and that the council was about upgrading the Afuye PHC to provide 24-hour service.