How revitalisation increased child delivery, patronage in Osun PHCs

It is a period of the baby boom in Osun state Primary Healthcare Centres as the revitalisation and rehabilitation carried out by the Governor Gboyega Oyetola led administration has attracted patronage from far and wide especially the antenatal service which continues to draw pregnant women leading to an unprecedented delivery of 50, 500 babies in  20 months. YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE reports. 

THE rot in many institutions especially the health and education sector which touches the masses deeply across the country has been a source of concern for the public and a course of constant discourse. While government at all levels  had tried to salvage the situation, many Nigerians are still left to suffer from poor access to basic amenities.

Across Nigeria, access to basic health delivery is almost nonexistent in many states for various reasons; Primary  Healthcare Centres (PHCs) were virtually moribund and abandoned. And this was the situation in many states that has various communities to cater for. Osun state was not an exemption to this situation until 2018 when the fortunes started changing.

Before November 2018, Osun State had more than 1000 PHCs but many were not functional and were not patronised due to the inability of many of them to meet the needs of the public. But on the assumption of office, Governor Gboyega  Oyetola approved the revitalisation of one PHC each in all the 332 wards that make up the state, many of which had been abandoned; some taken over by monkeys and goats amidst many other animals.

The PHCs were repositioned to provide medical services to both rural and urban dwellers of the state, including the oorest of the poor and has since continued to grow at a tremendous pace due to government’s determination to make basic health available to all residents irrespective of status, religious or political affiliation.

Speaking on the revitalisation, Governor Oyetola said the essence of revitalising the PHCs is to reduce the heavy burden placed on the secondary and tertiary hospitals by people who require basic health services but couldn’t get such in health centres in their locality.

This has helped the state to save a number of public facilities from outright ruin and turn them around for effective service delivery to the residents. One of the notable PHC that got attention is the Arowojobe the health centre in  Atakumosa East Local Government Area of Osun State which was built in 1965 without toilets and left in a dilapidated state. It was rebuilt by the Oyetola administration with all necessary facilities put in place.

The revitalisation process carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Works and Transport in conjunction with the Ministry of Health was not just building beautification. Indeed, they were not just beautiful buildings without life;  the PHCs were stocked with drugs, equipment purchased for their smooth operations, water and power supply provided and toilet facilities provided.

Also, adequate manpower was provided and road network were required and this has yielded positive results as the centres that were just buildings without the ability to render service and no patronage came alive. In addition, a new salary structure was approved recently for health workers, while efforts are on to recruit more personnel.

The Commissioner for Health in the state, Rafiu Isamotu said if the government has decided to pay the full agreed salary structure for health workers, there is no reason for anyone to absent themselves from their duty post or not give  in their best, adding that if the government finds people like that, it will do the needful because there’s no reason for anyone not to do their work as a government is also giving rural allowance to medical workers posted to rural areas to mitigate inconveniences and encourage them to be diligent.

The efforts of government has started paying off, following the renovation and upgrading of Primary Healthcare centres across Osun state, people of all age groups started patronising the PHCs and the enrolment figure jumped up;  between January and June 2020, enrolment increased to 253, 256 with the figure of births doubling The antenatal service seems to also be attractive as pregnant women throng to the centres to receive care, this has led to increasing in birth rate at the centre; over 50,500 babies have been delivered in these hospitals in 20 months since the revitalisation against the 30,599 taken between March 2017 and October 2018.

This increase is attributed to the priority given to the healthcare sector by the current administration in the state. A  chief Nursing Officer, Olafunke Abegunde, lauded the government for ensuring the turnaround in primary healthcare delivery in the state, adding that many people now patronise them.

She commended Governor Oyetolaand called on people to make use of the government free provision for them at the healthcare centres.

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