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Health

PHCs: NGO demands more funding for healthcare services

PHCs: NGO demands more funding for healthcare services
By Douglas Okoro
Healthcare
Abakaliki, March 25, 2019 (NAN) The Anabelles Bogi Development Initiative (ABDI), an NGO, has called on the Federal Government to properly fund the nation’s Primary Health Care (PHC) system to improve service delivery.
The Executive Director of ABDI, Mrs Uche Ebenezer, made the appeal at the end of one-day educational workshop organised for nurses/midwives from the 13 local government areas of Ebonyi at the National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Abakaliki.
The workshop was also attended by selected senior nursing officers/midwives from various health institutions in Nigeria and representatives of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).
The theme of the workshop was: “Expanding Primary Health Care – Roles of Nurses Toward the Attainment of Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria’’.
Ebenezer appealed to governments at all levels to inject more funds in the PHC delivery in Nigeria to boost operational efficiency.
According to her, more funding for the nation’s PHCs would not only boost efficiency but also provide affordable healthcare services, especially to indigent members of the society.
“I call on President Muhammadu Buhari and state governors who were elected in the just concluded 2019 general elections to think toward revamping the primary sector to boost healthcare delivery services to people living in rural areas.
“The PHCs, if well equipped, made to be functional and habitable by nurses that it would help to reduce the high rate of maternal and child deaths witnessed in most communities in the country.
“We are focusing on bringing to fore the role of nurses as primary healthcare providers in achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria.
“Yes, there is gender inequality and health inequity in the nation and this has become a hindrance to the attainment of universal healthcare in Nigeria.
“Nurses are poised to provide healthcare services at the primary healthcare level, however, the motivation to do so are perhaps hindered by the poor state of primary healthcare centres in Nigeria,’’ Ebenezer said.
The director stated that the organisation had delivered community-based related health services, particularly HIV/AIDS services to over 57,630 beneficiaries and vowed to launch more campaigns against the spread of HIV/AIDS in Ebonyi communities.
“Thinking and rethinking of healthcare in Nigeria should start from encouraging citizens to access healthcare service at the primary level before moving to the tertiary level.
“Nurses should be involved in community mobilisation, country leadership and implementation of the community-based health insurance scheme as their contributions to the attainment of universal health care in Nigeria,’’ she added. (NAN)
ODO/VIV/MST
Editing by Vivian Ihechu/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

‎Bauchi 57,PHCs Benefits  N164.1m, NSHIP support ,Sanctions Five PHCs  

NSHIP Support: Bauchi sanctions 5 PHCs
By Mohammed Ahmed Kaigama
Sanction
Bauchi, Dec. 8, 2018 (NAN) The Bauchi State government has sanctioned five Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC‎s) for poor performance.
Dr Adamu Muhammad, the state Project Coordinator, Nigeria State Health Investment Project (NSHIP), disclosed this at the Performance Based Financing (PBF) Steering Committee meeting for ‎the third quarter of 2018 in Bauchi on Saturday.
Muhammad said the sanctioned health facilities include Tashan Babiye, Wuntin Dada, Urban Maternity, Yuguda, and Kofar Fada PHCs in Bauchi and Katagum Local Government Areas of the state.
According to him, they were sanctioned for poor performance, poor record keeping and non-functional documentation.
He however announced that 57 PHCs in three local government areas of the state had collected more than N164,190 million under the NSHIP.
He explained that the decisions were reached separately at the third quarter meetings held at the respective local government councils.
“The local government areas that benefited include Bauchi, Dass and Katagum.
“21 health facilities in Bauchi LGA got N43.6 million, 16 facilities in Dass LGA will have N69.2, while 20 health facilities in Katagum LGA takes N51.3 million, respectively,’’ he said.
Muhammad, who was represented by Hajiya Samira Abdullahi, the state Health Care Waste NSHIP Officer, attributed the sanctions taken against some health facilities ‎to carrot and stick approach as contained in the project’s guidelines and specifications.
He noted that there was great improvement in the performances of the health care facilities compare to the second quarter of the year.
In their separate remarks, the Directors of PHCs in the three benefitting local government areas, Messrs Bako Gamawa, Sulaiman Kirfi and ‎Ali Muhammad, respectively, expressed satisfaction over the development and pledged to improve in the fourth quarter of the year. ‎
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that in the second quarter of 2018, the 57 health facilities received over N48 million with Bauchi having N4.2 million, Dass N42.2 million‎ and Katagum N2.2 million, respectively. (NAN)
MAK/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Alaghodaro 2018: Minister advocates revamping of PHCs

Alaghodaro 2018: Minister justifies revamping of PHCs
By Monday Ajogun
PHCs
Benin, Nov. 12, 2018 (NAN) The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewale, on Monday in Benin said revamping the comatose Primary Health Care (PHC) centres across the country would help strengthen and develop the troubled nation’s healthcare system.
Isaac, who said this in a keynote address at the Edo 2018 Alagodaro Summit, pledged the Federal Government’s commitment in ensuring Edo achieved her aim of having 200 PHCs by year 2020.
While stressing the importance of PHCs in the health sector, the minister decried that their non-functional status had overstretched the general and teaching hospitals originally programmed to handle complicated ailments.
While he advised government to revamp PHCs nationwide, “attention must also be paid to preventive medicines, especially on provision of safe water in communities and sensitisation on proper hygiene’’.
He also drew attention to the explosion of the country’s population especially “as majority of the population falls below the working age‘’.
Isaac congratulated the Edo government having the highest rate of skilled birth attendants which he said had reduced the rate of maternal and infant deaths in the state.
Prof. Omokhua Adeleye, in his contribution to the conversation with the theme “Revamping Primary Health Care in Edo State’’, called for an all inclusive health insurance coverage to make health care accessable to rural communities.
Adeleye advocated for a functional emergency system in the health sector.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr David Osifo, said the government had trained no fewer than 200 nurses for the 20 pilot PHCs.
Osifo added that there were currently 496 government PHCs with majority of them in dilapidated condition, saying that government will reconstruct about 200 of them by 2020. (NAN)
AJOM/KOO/MST
Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Bauchi Govt, UNICEF, EU to remodel PHCs

Bauchi Govt, UNICEF, EU to remodel 162 PHCS
By Mohammed Ahmed Kaigama
PHCs
Liman Katagum (Bauchi State), Nov. 7,2018 (NAN) The Bauchi State Government, in partnership with United Nations Children’s Funds (UNICEF) and European Union (EU) has concluded arrangements to remodel 162 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) for effective healthcare delivery system in the state.

The Executive Chairman, State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA), Mr Ibrahim Gamawa, stated this while handing over a health facility to a contractor at Liman Katagum on Wednesday.

“Today will be the formal day to handover Liman Katagum health facility for remodelling through total renovation by the contractor who will handle the renovation.

“Liman Katagum PHC is among the centre’s of excellence to be renovated among 31 PHCs in the phase one of the project.

“The 162 PHCs across the state will be renovated and remodel in phases, we are starting with 31 PHCs,

“Out of which 10 PHCs each for Bauchi and Katagum Local Government Areas while the 18 Local government areas eight PHCs will be renovated in each,” Gamawa said.

He stressed the need to strengthen primary health workers to enhance effective participation at the grassroots and make effective management of PHC facilities in their areas.

Gamawa however warned that health care services and delivery should not stop because of the renovation taking place in the facilities.

He commended UNICEF and EU for committing in promoting primary health cares system in the state.

“BASPHCDA in partnership with UNICEF through the European Union funds remain committed in ensuring improved and qualitative primary health care delivery across the state.,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Seyi Olusunde, UNICEF Health Officer Bauchi, said UNICEF and EU are committed to the upgrade of health facilities in the state.

“Facilities at the centres should be upgraded to offer all services  with appropriate staffing, equipment and consumables made readily available.

“Vaccine storage cold stores and capacity gaps should also be addressed,’’ he said.

‎Olusunde said state government and partners suggest ways of reviving the already dilapidated centres across the state.

He urged Traditional and religious leaders in the communities should embark on sensitization of women, for regular attendance of Anti natal and giving birth in the facilities.

In a remark, the Village Head of Liman Katagum, Alhaji Yakubu Gani, commended the state government for considering Liman Katagum Primary Health care for renovation and as center of excellence, among others. (NAN).
MAK/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

North East states meet to strengthen PHCs

North East states meet to strengthen PHCs
By Mohammed Ahmed Kaigama
PHCs
Bauchi, Nov. 5, 2018 (NAN) The six North East States of Nigeria are meeting in Bauchi to strengthen Primary Health Care delivery in the region, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
The state commenced the meeting on Monday under the aegis of Additional Financing Nigeria State Health Investment Project (AF-NSHIP) to increase PHC services and use of high impact maternal and child health interventions in the region.
The states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe.
The participants would deliberate on the project’s prospects and challenges with a view to move forward.
The technical Review Meeting was the second of its kind in the zone, having the first hosted by Gombe State in 2016.
The meeting is also being attended by the representatives of World Bank, Federal Ministry of Health, National Primary Health Care Development Agencies (NPHCDA), State Primary Health Care Development Agencies (SPHCDA), Project Coordinators and independent verifying agencies, among others.
The Bauchi State Project Coordinator, NSHIP, Dr Adamu Muhammad, said at the opening of the forum that the review was essential to validate and present systematic evidence on the successes, challenges, opportunities and lessons learnt over the years of implementation to scale up PHCs.
“The results of the review will facilitate the development of new implementation, sustainability and scale up strategies and corrective actions going forward.
“To also indicate some improvement in key output indicators such as number of fully immunised children, skilled birth attendance and increase in the quality improvement scores of facilities.
“To study the improvement in community engagement and ownership,” Mohammed said.
The Bauchi State PHCDA Executive Chairman, Mr Adamu Gamawa, said NSHIP has positively improved PHC system in Nigeria in both quality and quantity.
“Therefore, there is need to review its activities and develop a framework for the review process which articulates issues on design, processes, tools, execution, roles of all stakeholders, and impact of results on the health system including policy and sustainability,’’ Gamawa said.
The World Bank‎ Senior Health Specialist, Dr Oluwole Odutolu, said the project was having commendations even from outside Nigeria and attributed that to all the implementing states for their unrelenting efforts towards achieving success. (NAN)
MAK/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Environment

Gwagwalada health centre wants incinerators, toilets to boost hygiene

Clinic
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Nov. 2, 2018 (NAN) The Township Clinic, Gwagwalada, FCT, on Friday urged the Gwagwalada Area Council to provide waste incinerators and construct more toilets to boost hygiene in the health centre.

 

Mr Umar Bako, the clinic’s Chief Nursing Officer, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

 

He underscored the need to renovate the clinic which, he said, was constructed in the 1980s.

 

He said that parts of the vicinity of the clinic had been water-logged due to its poor drainage system, calling for prompt intervention by constructing drains so as to guard against the transmission of diseases in the neighbourhood.

 

“We are trying our best but we need an incinerator here to burn waste, as most of the refuse we generate here are left to litter the environment due to the delay of sanitary inspectors in removing them regularly.

 

“As you can also see, we don’t have drainage systems to ensure free flow of water.

 

“In our antenatal section, for instance, we have between 80 and 100 pregnant women coming there thrice a week. We, therefore, urge the area council to help us and improve our landscape.

 

“Look at the area, if it will work, we need it to be landscaped because of the water that accumulated there. We also want the whole place to be renovated, most of the walls have cracks, while some roofs are leaking.’’

 

Bako said it was unfortunate that the clinic lacked adequate toilets, adding that its overall out-patient population, which stood at between 80 and 100 patients daily, had to manage only two toilets.

 

He underscored the need to construct more toilets in the health centre, saying that the available ones were grossly inadequate, considering the number of pregnant women and other out-patients that were making use of the clinic.

 

Bako said that the construction of additional toilets would discourage the patients from practising open defecation in the vicinity of the clinic.

 

He also stressed the need to tackle the power supply challenges facing the clinic, saying that erratic power supply to the clinic had obviously hindered its operations.

 

He added that there were difficulties in procuring fuel regularly for the clinic’s electricity generator because of paucity of funds. (NAN)
TAK/OOK
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Health

Optometrists urge establishment of eye centres in Primary Healthcare Centres

PHCs

By Lydia Ngwakwe
Lagos, Oct. 16, 2018 (NAN) The Lagos Chapter of the Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA) says there is need for Lagos State Government (LASG) to establish eye care centres at its upgraded Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the state.

According to the association, this step will help to ensure that people, especially those at the grassroots have access to good eye care.

The State Chairman of NOA, John Samssedi made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

“The primary healthcare centres will not be useful without having an eye care personnel on board.

“Government said it has revamped 73 out of the 300 PHCs in Lagos State; however, it will not be useful if it is revamped without having an eye care personnel on board.

“Currently there are about nine engaged on locum basis; so if they can increase it, it will be great.’’

Samssedi said:“If they can have more internship programmes for the General Hospitals and have more optometrists engaged at the primary healthcare level, then we will indeed be taking eye care to the grassroots.

“This is because it is not just dealing with the elite alone who can take care of themselves but about an average Nigerian.

“We are talking about Nigerians living in Ikorodu, Igbogbo, Epe and the likes, who may not be able to access the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and other secondary facilities because of the crowd and time.’’

He said the centres should also be fully equipped with doctors to treat people for any kind of sickness and at an affordable bill.

Samssedi also urged governments to improve on the welfare of doctors as Nigerian doctors were willing to work if well taken care of.

He said that most of the time when doctors have had to go on strike, it had been to press home their demands for the interest of the masses and save the healthcare delivery system from malfunctioning.

He commended the state government for putting structures on ground for a better healthcare system, but urged it to take further steps and improve on what is currently on ground. (NAN)
LED/VIV/PDE
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(Editing by Vivian Ihechu/Peter Ejiofor)

Health

CSOs, Media tasks Bauchi Govt. on special package for PHCs

CSOs, Media tasks Bauchi Govt. on special package for PHCs
By Mohammed Ahmed Kaigama
Package
Bauchi, Oct. 3, 2018 (NAN) The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations under the aegis of Bauchi State Network of Civil Society Organisations (BASNEC) has called the State Government to implement the Minimum Service Package (MSP) for Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in the state.
Mr Sukumun Ezekiel, the Lead Resource Person of the coalition, made the appeal at a stakeholders meeting on the need to call for the enactment of special package in to law, increase funding and timely releases for PHC funds on Wednesday in Bauchi.
Ezekiel reaffirmed the commitment of CSOs in supporting states in the development of the MSP that would facilitate the revitalisation and effective delivery of PHC services in the state.
According to him, the European Union (EU) and UNICEF is supporting in the preparation of the package document for the state.
“That is why we are appealing to the state Governor to sign in to law and implement the said MSP documents for the state PHCs to be effective,” he said.
He enjoined the state governments to prioritise and continue to allocate more resources towards revitalisation of PHC services which is key towards achieving Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC).
“Health is an essential input to poverty reduction and socio-economic development. However, in principle all people are legally entitled to and should be guaranteed access to at least the minimum set of services, health professionals and resources.
“Furthermore, this entitlement must be protected and enforced by legal and regulatory measures, so that no one is prevented from seeking this minimum package of care,” he said.
He also urged governments to be committed to the provision of effective, affordable and sustainable health services to the entire population through an essential package of care.
Earlier, Mr Jinjiri Garba, the Chairman of the group, noted that efforts to strengthen PHC service delivery should be sustained towards reduction of maternal and under-five mortality rate in the state.
He appealed to the state government and other stakeholders to put in their best to towards signing the working document in to law.
Garba also charged partners to support government to assess, cost and plan the implementation of MSP to support PHC delivery.
He suggested that the PHC minimum standard should be in the areas of health infrastructure, human capacity, financial resources and provision of essential drugs.
Garba also recommended that the special package would strengthen the PHC system, staffing, equipment, service delivery, improve access and quality of services at the local government level. (NAN)
MAK/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

FCTA to run 24-hour services in 50 PHCs

FCTA to run 24-hour services in 50 PHCs
By Mustapha Sumaila
Healthcare
Abuja, July 17, 2018 (NAN) The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Health Care Development Board says it will soon introduce 24-hour services in 50 healthcare facilities across the territory.
The Executive Secretary of the board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.
Mohammed explained that for the FCT to have functional healthcare system that would provide qualitative health services to the people at the grassroots there was need to strengthen the Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and make them operate 24 hours daily.
He said that 50 healthcare facilities would be selected from the 248 PHCs in FCT to begin the new programme that would operate 24 hours.
“There are emergency cases that residents often take to healthcare centres at night but meet no one at the centres.
“Most times women go into labour at night and that situation of not getting health workers to attend to them is not something we can cope with.
“When such selected PHCs are in 24 hours operation, they will provide healthcare services both day and night,” he said.
The secretary stated that the administration of the present FCT Minister, Alhaji Muhammad Bello, was committed to making healthcare services accessible to the down trodden across the territory.
Besides, he disclosed that 12 additional PHCs were being constructed across the six area councils. (NAN)
MS/OIF/MST
Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

(Audio) Expert urges university teaching hospital mgts to deploy medical doctors to PHCs

Prof. Isaac Adewole, Minister of Health

Doctors

By Lydia Ngwakwe
Lagos, June 18, 2018 (NAN) Prof. Olufemi Fasanmade, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), on Monday appealed to managements of tertiary hospitals to deploy medical doctors to Primary Health Centres (PHCs) as support staff.

Fasanmade told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that deploying some doctors to Primary Health Centres (PHCs) would build confidence in patients and improve healthcare at the grassroots.

Cue in audio (Fasanmade)

“The fact that you are working in LUTH does not mean you cannot go and help them in the Primary Health Centres or in other small centres.

“Say okay I’m going to be coming to this centre once a week from my busy schedule in LUTH; I want to operate cases here.

“That way not every case needs to be referred to the tertiary centre.

“A Primary Health Centre should be able to take care of things like Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT), immunisation.

“It is detrimental both to the government and to the people.

 “For instance, you are going to a tertiary health centre, saying you want immunisation.

“See how big LUTH is, about 25 hectares of land with different buildings and departments and a peasant farmer just comes in saying she’s looking for immunisation.

“They are busy handling accident cases; they are busy handling people with brain tumour; and you are busy knocking.

“Which door do you want to even knock?

“Is it the emergency door, is it the out-patient, is it the surgical. So, is not meant for those type of patients.

“Also if government just put a nurse in each Primary Health Centre; a qualified nurse, an experienced nurse, youth corps doctors; then some basic laboratory staff are there, they can handle most of the cases that otherwise would have been coming to the teaching hospitals. ”

Cue out audio

He said that the behaviours of some nurses and doctors posted to work in rural areas had also led to patients’ lack of confidence in Primary Health Centres,

The medical expert added that some of the nurses were going to work once a week and the doctors’ once in a month.

Fasanmade, who is also the Unit Head, Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism Division, LUTH, said that a typical Primary Health Centre should be about two to three houses next to a patient’s house, where the fellow could walk in and receive treatment within few minutes or an hour. (NAN)
LED/AJA/YEE

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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

 

Edited by Adeleye Ajayi