Rivers
Reps’ Committee On Health Lauds RSG On Primary Healthcare Delivery
The House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services has commended the Rivers State Government for improving healthcare delivery in the state, especially at the primary healthcare levels.
Chairman of the Committee, Amos Gwamna Magaji, gave the commendation when he led members of the committee on an oversight visit to Rivers State, to monitor the utilisation of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.
He said they were impressed with what the state government is doing at the primary healthcare levels, especially assigning of doctors to man the various primary healthcare centres in the state.
“First of all, let me commend the government and people of Rivers State for what they have done to improve on the primary healthcare delivery in the state.
“This is one of those states where we went to a primary healthcare centre and we saw a medical doctor there and it’s quite impressive that a state would mobilise doctors, in spite of the scarcity of human resource for health, and ensure that there is a doctor in primary healthcare, and I think that’s commendable”, he said.
He encouraged healthcare seekers among members of the public to visit the facilities to access healthcare.
“Many of the structures we visited, especially the level 3 facilities, they are good and we encourage people to visit them, use them because the purpose of bringing primary healthcare is to bring health closer to the people; and so if people are not using it, then the purpose is defeated”, he emphasized.
The Committee Chairman, however, urged the government to provide electronic monitoring devices in the facilities to enhance monitoring real time medical records and information generation, while also enhancing performance of the workers.
“We discovered that they are not connected with electronic medical records where they have real time information generated and encouraged.
“They should be able to have a dashboard, especially the primary healthcare facilities where they see every activity going on in their facility, and I think that would strengthen monitoring, supervision, and, of course, help the workers there to be on their toes to deliver on their mandate”, he advised.
Magaji encouraged the government to continue on its trajectory in the primary healthcare provision and ensure that in the nearest future all localities have a functional level 2 and 3 healthcare facility.
The Committee Chairman explained further that the essence of the visit round the states is to also check the functionality of the funds and to see whether states are contributing their own quota, and also find avenues for improvement.
“We are trying to fast tack the visits because very soon the budget will be presented to the House and we want to make informed decision looking at the budget.
“We are also thinking of having a line item in the budget for immunisation, so we want to know with the resources that many states are receiving, and then also know their contributory parts”, he stated.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Health, Prof. Justina Jumbo, who represented the Commissioner, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, said the state remains steadfast in utilizing the BHPF and other federal government releases to provide access to healthcare for citizens of the state, especially those at the grassroots.
“In Rivers State, the Ministry of Health remains steadfast in its judicious utilisation of all health-related funds, including the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, to expand access to quality healthcare for our people, particularly those in the rural and underserved communities”, Jumbo stated.
She added that the ministry’s collective goals aligns with the Federal Government’s vision and the committee’s mandate to achieve universal health coverage in the country.
Prof. Jumbo further disclosed that the ministry’s programmes have been able to revitalise the 135 primary healthcare centres in the state.
By: John Bibor