Healthcare: USAID-IHP donates solar-powered phones to Bauchi state
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Integrated Health Programme (IHP), on Friday, donated 256 solar powered desktop, Android phones worth more than N39 million to the Bauchi State Government.
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State Technical Director of USAID-IHP, Dr Ibrahim Kabo, disclosed that in order to compliment the efforts of the State Government in the provision of alternative and effective referral system between primary and secondary health facilities as well as between patients in the communities and health facilities, there must be a link of communication.
According to him, Bauchi State has done a lot in terms of reviewing policies and guidelines for referral system strengthening as well as capacity building of Frontline healthcare providers, data tools provisions and now institutionalizing referrals with support from USAID-IHP.
The phones were donated through the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BASPHCDA) and are to be distributed to the Primary Healthcare Centers across the state for ease of communication by the Officers.
The USAID-IHP State Technical Director further revealed that the handing over of the 256 desktop, android phones by IHP which are solar-powered are expected strictly to be utilized in the identified 256 healthcare facilities in the state so as to ensure effective two ways referral system communication which will ultimately reduce the incidence of maternal morbidity and mortality in our communities.
“The solar-powered phones are made specifically to aid facility management in how to transfer cases from the lower level facility to another.
“This would reduce the sufferings of patients experienced during referrals, in terms of taking them to the next hospital or health facility, and that will prevent fatalities and clients’ extent of morbidity,” he said.
While receiving the items on behalf of Bauchi State Government, Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, said that the presence of Integrated Health Programme (IHP) has significantly changed the narrative of health system strengthening as the state witnessed multiple interventions.
Rilwanu Mohammed also pointed out that during the 5 year project implementation by the USAID-IHP in service delivery, a lot was done and achieved in spite of apparent challenges in state health indices.
He stressed that quite a number of care health workers were trained in different categories using low dose high frequency methodology.
