By Nnedinma Okeke :
The Executive Secretary, Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA), Dr. Chioma Ezenyimulu says the three prong approach to primary healthcare revitalization are: Infrastructure, Staffing and Service delivery.
Dr Ezenyimulu said this during an advocacy visit by the World Health Organization (WHO) Southeast Zonal Coordinator, Dr Chukwumuanya Igboekwu at the ASPHCDA office complex, Awka.
The essence of the visit was to brainstorm on ideas/concepts that would continuously strengthen the state’s health system thereby enabling Ndi Anambra remain wealthy and healthy.
The Executive Secretary expressed concern over the current problem now affecting Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) which has to do with inadequate staffing.
She noted that some PHCs now have just one government staff working with volunteers and this was an issue that required prompt attention.
“For employment purposes we have identified the gaps in our human resources as contained in our Minimum Service Package for Nurses, Midwives, Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs), Junior Community Health Extension Workers (JCHEWs) and Attendants.
Dr Ezenyimulu, however, thanked the WHO team for pledging their willingness to support the State in PHC Revitalization and other services.
“An area of concern which the partners can aid is in the area of capacity building for PHCs staff members on treatment of communicable and non-communicable disease.
“The capacity of the Officers-In-Charge (OICs) of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) can be built on all services rendered at the PHCs level and this will also bring about an improvement in the service delivery,” she emphasized.
The WHO Southeast Zonal Coordinator, Dr Chukwumuanya Igboekwu reiterated that their Organization would continue to serve in capacities needed.
According to him, his visit was to reassure the state and its leadership that WHO was still committed to supporting the government especially in areas where it has identified as top priority.
“These areas include; PHC revitalization, Immunization and General Outbreak response, surveillance and preparedness for new pandemic and new Outbreaks.
“Also, Strengthening governance for health system and Strengthening the health system in general of which WHO has been supporting the state,” he explained.
He encouraged the state to work towards these areas by coming up with programmes or activities that could make impact as WHO would push for it and get it done.
The Zonal Coordinator noted that the country has clearly identified the above mentioned areas as where WHO should support because of its comparative advantage and it has however mapped resources to support government.
Earlier, the WHO Anambra State Coordinator, Dr Adamu Abdulnasir noted that the Zonal Coordinator was in the state to support through the mandate for PHCs revitalization as well as other activities.
“We had to visit the Agency because it iis at the grassroot and point of entry for people into the health system,” he explained.
The Director, Disease Control and Immunization Department, ASPHCDA, Dr Nnamdi Placid Uliagbafusi and the Director, Community Health Services Department, ASPHCDA, Dr Frank Umeh both congratulated Dr Chukwumuanya Igboekwu on his appointment as WHO Southeast Zonal Coordinator.
They both noted that Dr Igboekwu who was formerly the WHO Anambra State Coordinator impacted positively in the state during his time as State Coordinator in Anambra.
