Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has inaugurated a 17-member State Primary Health Care (PHC) Board to ensure an efficient and effective healthcare system.
Inaugurating the board at the weekend in Benin, Obaseki charged them to ensure quality service healthcare delivery to the people of the state.
“For us in Edo, our Primary Healthcare system is most paramount and should be built on several pillars, which includes human capacity, provision of technology, quality assurance, financing and infrastructure,” he said.
The governor said that the inauguration was to formalise the process that started over six months ago of working with a consultant to build 20 Primary Health Care Centres across the state.
Obaseki outlined the key functions of the board as to initiate, organise and sponsor programmes for effective healthcare management and manpower development.
“Creation of public awareness is of importance to public healthcare in the state,” he charged.
He said that the members were also expected to regulate the appointment, promotion, transfer and discipline of staff of the agencies.
The Chairman of the Board, Dr Victor Iyekekpolo, appreciated the efforts of the governor for repositioning the state healthcare sector.
Iyekekpolo, however, urged the governor to expedite action on the proposed amendment to the Edo Primary Healthy Care Development Board Bill.
“It would help provide legal framework for the successful implementation of Primary Health Care Policies and Programmes in the state,” he said.