For Nigeria to attain the millennium Goal in health and reverse the prevalent high mortality rate amongst mother and child, it must adopt with immediate dispatch, the Oyo State health delivery programme in provision of primary health center across all the Wards in the state.
Quality healthcare and affordable education to all citizens should be the primary aim of any serious government, these are some of the many ideologies that set Gov. Seyi Makinde apart from present and past Nigerian governors.
We believe as an article of faith that everybody in society must have access to decent healthcare, especially the most vulnerable in society, pregnant women and children and elderly ones. As the economy of the country and state grows giving unfettered healthcare to our people should not be negotiable.
Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, has on assumption of office reiterated the commitment of his administration to bringing back the good old days when the State was the haven of medical care services in the country and region.
As part of his commitments to Primary health care in the state, Gov Seyi Makinde led administration earmarked the sum of N1 billion for the upgrade of all Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across the state. He directed all Council Chairmen that 7.5% of Local Govt monthly statutory allocations should go to healthcare because out of the 721 Primary Health Cares in the state, only about 10% are in good condition based on nonchalant altitude of previous administration in the state. The 7.5% in which would yield about N12 Billion in three years, and get the Primary Health Cares working again.
He asserted that the role of government was to steer the overall health care development, designing health care policies and programme.
He noted that the decay in the health sector over the last few decades have come to us as a recurring decimal which has to be confronted holistically and at all fronts.
The importance and benefits of Primary health Centers across the Wards in the state.
This will serve as the first point of contact to keep people well and improve their quality of life, reduces pressure on hospitals, and supporting people to manage their health issues in the society.
The policy will also provide continuous and comprehensive care to the patients, most especially in isolated areas and, makes the patient available with the various social welfare and public health services initiated by the government. It will offer quality health and social services to the underprivileged sections of the society across Oyo State.
As for the benefits of primary health care to the members of a community, it will provide employment opportunities for the jobless health workers, and offers the first set of professional care to the patients by incorporating a proactive approach that utilizes several preventive measures, management of chronic disease, and promoting self-care. Along with that, the policy will provides increased accessibility to advanced health care system for the community, which results in excellent health outcomes and prevention of delay.
Olaniyi Stephen writes from Ibadan.