…urges communities to take ownership of facilities
Ekiti State Government has been advised to take pragmatic steps to address some of the major challenges affecting health care delivery, particularly in the Primary Health Centres PHCs which include trauncy, brain-drain, inadequate equipment, poor infrastructure and funding.
Chairman for the Civil Society in Malaria Control Immunization and Nutrition, ACOMIN, Sir Olu Ogunrotimi made this known while briefing newsmen in Ado Ekiti on the update of the intervention programme sponsored by Global Fund tagged “C-19RM/RSSH Grant which is currently ongoing in five local governments of the State.
The C-19RM/RSSH Grant is a project sponsored by Global Fund with the aim of mobilizing communities to take ownership of primary health facilities in their areas and complement government’s efforts to enhance their capacities to give better health care to the people particularly in the areas of Malaria, Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDs.
Addressing Journalists in Ado Ekiti, Sir Olu Ogunrotimi highlighted some of the success stories recorded since the commencement of the projects to include provision of electricity, renovation of dilapidated health facilities, provision of water, procurement of equipment and mattresses just to mention but a few.
He noted that the intervention programme had enhanced health care services of the affected centres but much more still needed to be done on the part of government by recruiting more nurses, monitor staff who have not been showing up at work and improve funding of the centres.
Sir Ogunrotimi affirmed that findings by the organization showed that most nurses do not report for work especially at the grassroots thus denying the people access to health care.
According to him, the project has changed the orientation of the communities and they have been forth coming gradually saying the little achieved so far was due to the support of the people.
He said:”We urge government officials and policymakers to prioritize and increase funding for Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs). Adequate financial support is crucial for these centres to deliver quality healthcare services, including malaria prevention and treatment, to the community.
“By allocating more resources to PHCs, governments can strengthen primary healthcare infrastructure, enhance healthcare workforce capacity, and ensure that essential services are accessible to all.
“Private and philanthropic should increase funding for PHCs. We call upon private organizations, philanthropic foundations, and individuals to contribute to the funding of Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs).
“We encourage religious leaders to invest in Primary Healthcare as they have the power to influence and mobilize communities towards positive change. Through their leadership and guidance, they can help ensure that communities are integrated into the healthcare response, fostering a sense of ownership and accountability.
Also the State Coordinator of Tuberculosis Network, Dr. Taiwo Benson represented by Professor Taiwo Oluwadare said government must put up machineries to monitor it’s investment in health facilities saying lacking of proper monitoring was responsible for the lapses witnessed.
Earlier, the State Coordinator, Network of People Living with HIV, Mr. Oyewole Oluwafemi appealed to media to help create more awareness on the need for members of the public to take ownership of the various health facilities in their areas due to the importance to them.
He said the people are the main beneficiaries of the facilities and if the facilities become moribund the people will also bear the brunt.