The Executive Secretary of Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA), Dr. Chioma Ezenyimulu said the three-prong approach to primary healthcare revitalization are: Infrastructure, Staffing and Service delivery.
Dr Ezenyimulu said this during an advocacy visit by the World Health Organization (WHO) Southeast Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Chukwumuanya Igboekwu at the ASPHCDA office complex, Awka.
The essence of the visit was to brainstorm ideas/concepts that would continuously strengthen the state’s health system thereby enabling Ndi (indigenes) of Anambra to remain wealthy and healthy.
Concerns
The Executive Secretary expressed concern over the current problem now affecting Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) which has to do with inadequate staffing.
She noted that some PHCs now have just one government staff working with volunteers and this was an issue that required prompt attention.
“For employment purposes, we have identified the gaps in our human resources as contained in our Minimum Service Package for Nurses, Midwives, Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs), Junior Community Health Extension Workers (JCHEWs) and Attendants.
Dr. Ezenyimulu, however, thanked the WHO team for pledging their willingness to support the State in PHC Revitalization and other services.
“An area of concern which the partners can aid is in the area of capacity building for PHCs staff members on the treatment of communicable and non-communicable disease.
“The capacity of the Officers-In-Charge (OICs) of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) can be built on all services rendered at the PHCs level and this will also bring about an improvement in the service delivery,” she emphasized.
Capacities needed
The WHO South-east Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Chukwumuanya Igboekwu reiterated that their Organization would continue to serve in the capacities needed.
According to him, his visit was to reassure the state and its leadership that WHO was still committed to supporting the government, especially in areas where it has identified as a top priority.
“These areas include; PHC revitalization, Immunization and General Outbreak response, surveillance and preparedness for new pandemics and new Outbreaks.
“Also, strengthening governance for the health system and strengthening the health system in general of which WHO has been supporting the state,” he explained.
He encouraged the state to work towards these areas by coming up with programmes or activities that could make an impact as WHO would push for it and get it done.
Earlier, the WHO Anambra State Coordinator, Dr. Adamu Abdulnasir noted that the Zonal Coordinator was in the state to support the mandate for PHCs revitalization as well as other activities.
“We had to visit the Agency because it is at the grassroots and point of entry for people into the health system,” he explained.
The Director of the Disease Control and Immunization Department, (ASPHCDA), Dr. Nnamdi Placid Uliagbafusi and the Director of the Community Health Services Department, (ASPHCDA), Dr. Frank Umeh both congratulated Dr. Chukwumuanya Igboekwu on his appointment as WHO Southeast Zonal Coordinator.
They both noted that Dr. Igboekwu who was formerly the WHO Anambra State Coordinator impacted positively the state during his time as State Coordinator in Anambra.
Olusola Akintonde
