14/07/2022
Anambra Health Agency Laments Shortage Of Manpower In Health Care Centres.. Obidike Adopts
The Executive Secretary of Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ASPHCDA), Dr Chioma Ezenyimulu has lamented the shortage of manpower in the Primary Health Care centres across the state.
Dr Ezenyimulu disclosed this at the stakeholders dialogue session organized by the Justice Development and Peace Caritas(JDPC) Nnewi in collaboration with her civil society partners and relevant government actors towards improving the Primary Health Care service delivery on Tuesday, June, 7,2022 at Awka, Anambra State.
She regretted that many health care workers were retiring without being replaced, urging the state government to recruit more workers in the health system.
She said that the major impediment to full implementation of the Primary Health Care service delivery is the approval and release of funds,adding that "BHCPF is very timely and it's only provided for 332 facilities, where as we have 638 facilities and counting.
According to her, "Our health workers are retiring and they are not employing. We are still waiting for them. If you go to our PHC, you will see one government worker and the other people are Volunteers. That's the dilemma.
Ezenyimulu, said that the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) was established as a catalytic funding to improve access to primary health care which is derived from an annual grant of one percent (1%)from the Federal Government of Nigeria from the Consolidated Revenue Fund(CRF).
As a prerequisite for states to be on-board,she lauded the former Governor of Anambra State,Chief Willie Obiano for his doggedness and result-oriented programmes in meeting the criteria in accessing the fund.
"Having a law establishing the agency,governing board, office accomodation, management team, to show that the Local Government Health Department Agency have been moved to State PHC Development Agency, minimum service package, paying of 100million naira counterpart fund and many others,"she said.
She noted that the agency have accessed the fund for three quarters in about 332 wards including demonstration centres in Anambra which is paid directly from Central Bank of Nigeria to their health facility accounts and the signatories are the Ward Development Committee (WDC) chairman and the OIC of the facility for accountability and transparency.
In his own remarks, Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike said that Anambra State Government is currently recruiting Medical Personnels because governor of Anambra State,Prof Soludo is so passionate about the health of the people in Anambra.
He said that Soludo is providing radiological instruments and other equipments in some hospitals in Anambra.
According to him, "We want to establish a very referral system in our general hospitals and PHCCs in Anambra for special services in each of the Senatorial districts. We are focusing on human development and service delivery.
He said that Anambra would soon introduce digital services into the state’s health sector for medical emergency.
The chairman, Community Empowerment Network(COMEN),Ide Godwin Eze on his part said that Justice, Development and Peace Caritas, Nnewi (JDPC) and their network of partners helped COMEN to build budget analysis skills and forge relationships with local officials to demand that the government adequately prioritize the PHC sector.
On the story of COMEN,Ide noted that they have visited and inspected 21 facilities late in 2019, with a specific focus on water and sanitation.
He said that they are engaging relevant government actors at national and subnational level, who, in turn, will commit to keep improving PHC service delivery.
He enjoined Dr Obidike and Dr Ezenyimulu to keep focused on the task ahead, knowing full well that if the PHC was strengthened, it would create more access for Anambra citizens to basic healthcare.
Earlier, in an opening remark, Rev Fr James Enemuo, Director of JDPC Nnewi, noted that the essence of the dialogue is to validate research work that seeks to present underlying drivers of the budget performance issues for the health program budgets of the state and to stimulate critical discussions around strategies to improve effective funding for the PHC subsector.
He commended COMEN for their selfless services at the primary health subsector in Anambra State.
Presentations were made by Mr Okey Onyeka,Director Civil Society Concern (CRC) and Budgit on "Assessing of the costs for upgrading/improving the conditions of PHC facilities and "Budget Credibility Research respectively.
Highlight of the session was the adoption of the by Hon Commissioner for Health,Dr Obidike.
Chibueze Ughala
7th June 2022.
