Enugu govt promises to strengthen rural healthcare system

The Enugu State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthen the rural healthcare system so the citizenry can enjoy optimal health needed to combat poverty.

The Deputy Governor of the state, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo, said this at the launch of the distribution of health commodities to Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) through the Saving One Million Lives (SOML) initiative.

The items included Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets, HIV/AIDS test kits, baby delivery aprons, liquid soap, face masks and buckets with taps for handwashing, amongst others.

Ezeilo said that each of the 34 selected PHC centres in each of the 17 Local Government Áreas would get at least two items.

She said that Enugu State is fortunate to have a health-loving and passionate governor, who believes in the wellbeing of the people.

“Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has paid great attention to the uplift of the downtrodden, especially the healthcare of our rural people through the PHC centres.

“Over the years, he has equipped PHC centres with more staff, more drugs, health commodities and consumables and built befitting Type-3 PHC centres to express his vision of healthcare for all.

“He has made training and retraining a continuous affair for all health workers to keep them abreast with the latest health challenges and dynamism as well,’’ Ezeilo said.

ALSO READ: We’ll recruit more teachers, doctors to improve service delivery — Zulum assures Borno citizens

Also, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ikechukwu Obi, said that apart from all direct interventions in health facilities, Ugwuanyi had provided access roads to all health facilities at all levels.

“Today, we have Personal Protective Equipment and child delivery materials at the rural areas to further drive home the governor’s vision to provide quality healthcare for all,’’ Obi said.

Dr Ifeyinwa Ugwunweze, the state Programme Manager, Enugu SOML initiative, said it was meant to up-scale health interventions for mother and child.

Ugwunweze said the programme had over the years done far-reaching interventions on vaccination coverage among young children and contraceptive prevalence rate.

She listed other areas covered by the initiative to include the training of skilled birth attendants and Vitamin-A supplementation among children between six months and five years.

The rest, according to her, are HIV counselling/testing among women receiving antenatal care and use of insecticide treated nets by children.

Responding, Dr George Ugwu, Executive Secretary of Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency, thanked the state government for its support to the PHC centres.

“For the past five years, all the indicators of quality healthcare delivery at the rural areas have continued to improve due to sustained government’s direct funding and support to services provided at the PHC centres.

“We remain grateful to state government for the health commodities, consumables and drugs provided to make our rural people access quality healthcare at their doorsteps,’’ Ugwu said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that SOML is a Federal Government’s maternal and child healthcare initiative.

(NAN)

Vanguard News Nigeria

The post Enugu govt promises to strengthen rural healthcare system appeared first on Vanguard News.