CSOs task councillors on need to monitor primary health care centres

Civil society organisations have called on all the ward councillors to always take the responsibility of maintaining, sustainability, monitoring, checkmating the running of projects in the primary health care centres within their coverage.

The lawmakers received the call at the weekend during a quarterly legislative high level advocacy/ round table on health sector financing and budgeting performance organised by Development Integrity Intervention Goals (DIG) and sponsored by Integrated Health Program (IHP-USAID).

The programme which came following the deteriorating State of Primary Health Centers in Ebonyi State was attended by CSOs, councillors, town union leaders, Ebonyi State primary health care representative, State House of Assembly clerk and a host of other stakeholders.

The Executive Director of DIG, Mr Oliver Chima, said the objective of the meeting was to introduce the Advocacy and Accountability Project by DIG as USAID IHP sub-grantee to participants, to discuss issues around health financing and citizens engagement and to advocate for state House Assembly members to prioritize primary health care budget including issues of human resources. 

According to Chinyere Ikwuakor, Leadership Governance Advisor USAID IHP Ebonyi State said USAID IHP is assisting Ebonyi state Primary Health care to revitalize their PHCs to strengthen the health system, increase the quality of service and access to PHC.

According to her, the assistance will reduce the rate of maternal and infant mortality. She then urged the key policymakers to make the right decision to improve health care delivery in the state. 

In her part, the Executive Secretary Ebonyi State primary health care centres Dr Kate Barry-oko represented by the Director monitoring and Evaluation, Alegu Leonard, noted financing has remained the most issue affecting the operation and management of the PHC in the state.

He said, “We lack finance in our agencies. So this meeting is very important because it will help to advocate for the attention of the government to address financing issues. So I expect that from moving the issues to the Government, policymakers, attention will be given to those issues and resources needed for the funding will be released to increase the service delivery and uptake of the services at the primary Health Centers. “

Responding, the Stakeholders noted that a lot still needs to be done to fully revitalize the remaining 75% to a state of service readiness especially in terms of good building, accessibility, sustainable electricity supply, potable water supply, toilet facility, adequate human resources for health, essential drugs and commodity supply, governance, quality service delivery, security of health workers etc.

Meanwhile, the Clerk of Ebonyi State House of Assembly Mrs Patricia Anyasi, noted that the state House do not propose a budget but urged the Stakeholders to shift all the problems listed to the ministry of health. According to her, the Assembly can only beef off allocation where necessary.

She however promised to engage civil society organizations and other relevant NGOs come 2022 budget public hearing.

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