Ogun urges LG chairmen, Stakeholders to sustain basic health intervention

By Lekan Lisoye

The Ogun State Government has called on the Chairmen of Local Governments and other relevant stakeholders to support and take ownership of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCF), as a key intervention and innovation to ensure accountability and sustainability of qualitative healthcare delivery for residents.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker made the call in Abeokuta, during a stakeholders' meeting on COVID-19 vaccination response, BHCPF and other Primary Health care Centres (PHCs) activities, saying it was imperative to improve the quality of care at the grassroot level.

Coker explained that BHCF is a Federal and State Governments funded initiative, to provide free minimum basic health care to the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians through accredited PHCs in each of the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory.

"We have been on a journey to improve the quality of healthcare that we deliver at the grassroot level and we want you to take ownership of key interventions and innovative changes. We would like to carry you along so that there will be sustainability. This is why your being here is important", she said.

She reiterated that the present administration remained committed to ensuring that no child, pregnant woman or adult died as a result of preventable causes, attributing some avoidable deaths to poor quality medications as a result of varying sources of supply.

The Commissioner revealed that the State Government had made huge investment in the health sector through the purchase of digital chromatography machines, to ensure the quality of drugs in facilities, rehabilitation and equipping of PHCs, as well as recruitment and training of service providers in facilities across the State.

In his welcome address, the Executive Secretary, Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola said the objective of the meeting was to give feedback on the COVID-19 vaccination response and intimate participants on operations of BHCF, noting that successful implementation of the programmes would depend on strategic planning, effective monitoring and transparency.

In his presentation, the State Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Mr. Kayode Runsewe reported that 100 percent and 93 percent of the Morderna and AstraZeneca vaccines respectively allocated to the State had been utilised, adding that there was no reported case of severe “Adverse Effects Following Immunisation” (AEFI)

In their separate contributions, the State Coordinator, World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Dele Sunday, State Representative, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and her counterpart from the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Hajia Aishatu Zango all enjoined participants to support government’s effort at ensuring the wellbeing of residents, especially children, through active engagement and participation in various PHC activities in their  localities, promising the continued support of their various organisations on providing technical assistance during immunisation exercise.

Speaking on behalf of his colleague Local Government Chairmen, Alhaji Babatunde Emilola-Gazal appreciated the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration for prioritising the wellbeing of residents, assuring that they would ensure the successful implementation of all Primary Health Care activities in their respective localities.