Rivers
RSG moves To improve Health Care Delivery To Communities … Inaugurates Local Government Health Care Authorities
Inline with the desire of ensuring quality primary health care services to the people at the grassroots, the Rivers State Government has commenced the inauguration of local Government Health Care Authorities across the 23 Local Government Areas .
Executive Secretary of the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board, Dr Kinikanwo Green, said the inauguration was inline with the law setting up the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board.
Green, who spoke to newsmen at Omoku and Rumuodumanya during the inauguration of the Ogba Egbema Ndoni and Obio /Akpor local Government Health Care Authorities respectively, said the situation will ensure better supervision of the over 300 Primary Health Centers across the state.
He said the various local Government Healthcare Authorities, which will be chaired by chairpersons of the various councils who are also supervisors for health in their respective local Government Areas and other health officers, will ensure proper maintenance of Primary Health Centers in their domain.
It will also feed the Board with monthly reports that will enable it articulate policies that will ensure the effective functioning of the various Primary Health Centers in the LGAs.
“We expect them to give us monthly reports and that will help in formulation of policies to see how to move primary Health Care forward”, he said.
Speaking with newsmen later, both the chairpersons of Ogba Egbema Ndoni LGA, Mrs Stella Agada, and her Obio /Akpor counterpart, Mrs Chinyere Agbara, said the Authorities under their supervision will work hard to ensure quality services at various PHCs in their LGAs.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board has blamed the poor primary health care services at the Comprehensive Health Centre, Ndoni, in Ogba Egbema Ndoni LGA on flood.
Executive Secretary of the Board, Green, made this observation in an interview with newsmen shortly after inspecting facilities at the health centre.
He said flooding has affected the quality of service being rendered by the health centre.
According to him, the visit to the Ndoni health centre was part of ongoing tour by the board to PHCs across the state.
“We are here to ensure that the people of Ndoni are able to access quality and good PHC services
“But, of course, this whole flood thing has really affected the level of services of PHC in this place”, he said.
He stated further that the Ndoni health centre is part of the PHCs that will be reactivated by the present administration, but added that something must be done about the perennial flooding in the area.
Green said while the board will make recommendations to the State Government on its observation, it beholves on the Federal Government to swing into action with the view to ensuring that people in the area live their normal lives.
He said the present administration under Governor Siminalaye Fubara is determined to ensure quality PHC services to the people of the state.
Green described PHC services as the most important as far as health care delivery is concerned, adding that in line with UNICEF standard, over 78 percent of the populace make use of the service of primary PHC system.
The Executive Secretary also advised Communities to take control of the health centres sited in their domain, while accessing the services of PHCs should be for everybody, not just women and children alone.
Health centres visited include that of Omoku, Okwuzi, Ndoni, Igwuruta, and Rumuodumanya.
By: John Bibor