By Olusegun Samuel
The Bayelsa State House of Assembly has summoned the State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Newton Igwule, eight local government council chairmen and heads of department of health in the local government councils to appear before the house.
Also to appear before the House Committees of Health and Local Government over the deplorable state of primary healthcare centres across the state are the chairman and secretary of Primary HealthCare Development Board (PHCDB) and the Director of public health in the state Ministry of Health.
The resolution followed a motion moved by the member representing Ogbia Constituency 1, Mr. Mietamar Obodor, during the sitting of the House yesterday on the need for functional health care centres in all the local government areas of the state.
Obodor said that the fourth schedule of the 1999 Constitution as amended deliberately created the third tier of government to bring governance and government activities closer to the people by providing the basic social amenities and services for their well being.
He noted that a key component of the social services was functional healthcare centres, which took care of the need of the people.
He lamented that that the health centres in the state, which are directly under the control of local government councils, were either nonexistent or in very deplorable conditions.
The lawmaker stressed that the great improvements of health facilities and policies of the state level need to be replicated at the local government level, adding that the provision of functional and accessible health centres in the local government level superseded any other infrastructure.
Other lawmakers who spoke in favour of the motion said because of the neglect of the primary healthcare at the local government level, quack health practitioners are springing up thereby endangering the lives of the people.
They stressed that the regulators of the sector in the state need to step up.
Earlier, the House Joint Committee on Ijaw National Affairs and Culture and Tourism submitted its report on Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro and other Heroes Memorial Day Bill to the House.
