APHPN Plans Virtual Training Programme for Primary Healthcare Workers

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN) said it will introduce an innovative virtual learning programme to help update knowledge of health workers in healthcare facilities located in remote areas.

Speaking to THISDAY shortly after his inauguration as the President, Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria, Dr. Terfa Kene, said the association hopes to ensure that there is a paradigm shift in the way public health strategies are implemented in the country.

Kene who said that public health of primary concern to members of the association, however lamented the neglect and lack of investment in operations of the health centres.

He said that the association has registered the APHPN Consultancy Services Limited (ACOSEL) to help provide national and international expert services to institutions that require such services through virtual platforms.

“We plan to set up the APHPN Virtual School with operational centres (studio) in Delta State in the South and the FCT in the North.

“These virtual learning schools will help us ensure that our knowledge reaches out to the general population and remain the sources of verifiable public health information and data.

“We will engage our colleagues in the diaspora to reverse brain drain in form of knowledge sharing and skills transfer,” he said.          

The association also promised to adopt and revamp facilities in 222 Primary Healthcare Centres across the country.

It said that six Primary Healthcare Centres in each of the states will benefit from the facility upgrade.

The association said that it will in addition provide solar power facility in the affected healthcare centres to boost electricity supply for better service delivery.

“As I said earlier, the Primary Healthcare system is our constituency. Sadly, we have noticed over the years the decline in investment by individuals, communities and the government in this level of the health care.

“We have advocated, lamented, and criticised but little has changed. Government has made efforts but considering the large population there still so much to do. We have decided to adopt at least 222 Primary Healthcare Centres (6 per state) and invest time and resources to improve their functionality.

“We will do crowd funding and philanthropic approach to raise funds from people of good will. We will also seek grants for this purpose.

“We will crowd fund and seek grants and the support of philanthropic individuals and organisations to support our work and public health activities. Especially in the wake of international healthcare policy summersaults,” he said.

On her part, the Secretary General of APHPN, Dr. Augustine Ajogwu, said an facility assessment is to be carried out on each of the primary healthcare centres based on approved standards which will help indicate their areas of need.