Healthcare Delivery: RSG Harps On Data Management

The Rivers State Government has again reiterated the importance of data management in ensuring quality primary healthcare delivery in the state.

Special Assistant to the governor of Rivers State, Dr Tari Lawson stated this last Friday during the first quarter review meeting of the Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board in Port Harcourt.

In her presentation, Dr Lawson charged the doctors to ensure that the data they generated at the various health centres was consistent, valid and correct.

Lawson noted that accurate data helped to identify health related problems in our community and environment which determined how resources are allocated.

She enjoined the doctors to pay attention to data quality, stressing that a misrepresentation of data may indicate inefficiency.

She said that,” As heads of teams, before you append your signature, ensure that you carry out data quality checks in order to identify problem areas and profer solutions in the most cost effective way.

The chairman of the Board, Dr Uriah S. Etawo, regretted that out of about the five million people in the state, only about a hundred thousand had been registered for the free medical in the last two years.

Dr Etawo said that the medical officers should ensure that they encouraged patients to key into the free medical programme of the present administration.

Also in her presentation, the director medical services of the board, Dr Theophilous  Tanu who reviewed the activities of the board in the last two years, noted that there was remarkable improvement in service delivery and workers attitude.

Dr Tanu enumerated some of the challenge which includes, absenteeism by some health staff and un-authorised charges at the primary health centers.