Martins Ifijeh
The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, has said that 80 per cent of health problems in Nigeria could be solved at the Primary Health Care level of the health system if adequate attention was given to service delivery at the tate and local government levels.
The minister made this known recently when he paid a courtesy call on Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-makura, at the Government House, Lafia.
Adewole commended the governor for his effort in upgrading PHC facilities in the state stressing that 80 per cent of health problems in the country could be solved at the primary healthcare level if the facilities were properly funded and managed.
Adewole informed that in 2018, the federal government would ensure that one well-funded PHC is functional in each L.G.A. in Nigeria. He also pledged to support the accreditation of the School of Nursing and Midwifery Lafia, in 2018.
The minister regretted that there were more doctors in federal hospitals than state owned hospitals. He therefore appealed for synergy between the federal and state governments so that skilled manpower in the FG facilities could render services in the state health facilities.
According to him, this would eventually promote healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
In his response, Al-makura appreciated the minister for adding value to the health sector through his responses to recent outbreak of diseases since his appointment into office as Minister of Health.
He extolled the minister’s vision and focus, displayed at the national level of government which he said had impacted on state governors who were beginning to key into ensuring efficiency and effectiveness of PHCs in states.
In his words, “Any sensible administration must be sensitive to the plight of his people. Once we make the PHCs functional, the standard of living of our people would be transformed for the better.â€
The governor informed that all PHCs had been internalised under the Primary Healthcare Under One Roof programme. He pledged to multiply the effort seen at Nasarawa Eggon in all PHCs across the state with the aim of transforming them into centres of excellence, among PHCs.
