By Sade Oguntola
TO further strengthen the provision of primary healthcare in Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde has boosted services at this level of health care with N1.19 billion.
While handling over a N4.5 million cheque each to 265 ward development committees on Tuesday, Makinde said the money was to help ensure that a functional primary health care is close to everyone, irrespective of where they reside in the state.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement meeting on Basic Healthcare Provision Fund with Ward Health System Strengthening in Oyo State, the governor said the ward development committees need to take ownership of the primary health care services and ensure that the money is judiciously used for the purpose it was given.
“Report says ward development committees had taken ownership of the primary healthcare facilities in their vicinity. Our experience before now is that anything that belongs to the government is nobody’s, but that is changing and changing fast in Oyo State.
“If the mandate given to me is retained, we will finish the renovation and refurbishment of the remaining PHCs across the state. But please, ensure that the money is used judiciously and for the purpose it is given for,” he said.
Executive secretary, Oyo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Muideen Olatunji, said strengthening the community development committees to ensure their involvement in the day-to-day running of the upgraded PHC across the state is cardinal.
Dr Olatunji said the money in the first phase goes to 264 health facilities, and at the second phase would be upgraded to 351 health facilities as additional support to be able to provide the needs in those facilities based on the gaps identified.
“Apart from these facilities benefiting from the basic health care fund, they will be leveraging the IMPART project. Each facility is to have a minimum of 4 million to support them for procurement of some equipment and do little renovation in the facility so that the system can keep running on its own,” he said.
In a remark, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Taiwo Oladipo, said individuals should be part of the health insurance scheme to cut down on out-of-pocket spending on health even as the state government continues its plan of perfecting its referral system and ensuring that everyone that seeks health care gets it.
IMPART project’s project manager, Dr Johnson Osoka, said the project is targeting reducing unde-5 mortality rate by 40 percent in the next five years through its support to and strengthening of the PHC system by the strategy of decentralised facility financing.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
