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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Oyo State Government has urged residents, especially rural dwellers, to access quality and affordable healthcare through functional Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) facilities in the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bode Ladipo, made the call while launching the maintainance manual for the facilities in Ibadan, on Monday.
Ladipo said the Oyo State Government has put in some resources to facilitate the upgrade of PHCs in the state.
He said the essence of the step was to make sure each political ward has a viable healthcare centre, adding that about 210 of these PHCs were renovated in Governor Seyi Makinde’s first tenure, while other PHCs will be completed to make up the remaining 351 PHCs.
Ladipo, who noted that Oyo State Government is aware of the manpower shift from this clime to more economically buoyant climes, added that the government has started looking inward to shore up resources that will ensure it meets the needs of practitioners.
The commissioner reiterated the commitment of the state government to maintain all the healthcare facilities in the state.
He said there is need to ensure the facilities put together outlasts the present administration, stressing that Oyo State Government put a small manual together for the maintenance of the new facilities for this reason.
Speaking earlier, the Special Adviser on Health and Chairperson, Governor’s PHC renovation steering committee, Dr Funmi Salami, said the maintenance handbook is vital, saying “as a good maintenance culture will extend the life of the infrastructure we are setting up in Oyo State.”
She reiterated the state government’s commitment to deliver its mandate of quality healthcare to all citizens of Oyo State through the renovation of 351 primary healthcare centers (one PHC per ward) across the state to category III PHCs.
“A category III PHC has about 13 rooms with portable water and electricity. Maintaining the PHCs in a proactive manner is critical to their functionality and longevity. This maintenance manual will assist in ensuring that end users regularly perform preventative maintenance,” she said.
Addressing the shortage of healthcare workers in the country due to brain drain and other factors, she said the committee has a mandate to think outside the box to staff the PHCs.
She said decisions have been reached on how to provide staff for the PHCs on the short, medium and long term.
Stakeholders at the event include Special Assistant on Environment (Technical lead Governor’s PHC renovation steering committee), Engr. Ademola Aderinto; Permanent Secretaries, Ministry of Health and Local Government; ALGON Chairman, Hon. Sikiru Sanda; ALGON executives; ES Primary Healthcare Board; Dr. M.B Olatunji; ES OYSHIA, Dr. Sola Akande; WDC zonal chairmen, Local Government Medical officers of Health; Provost, College of Nursing and Midwifery; Provost, College of Health Science and Technology.
