Health care
delivery is the fundamental responsibility of any government. Health care
system in Nigeria is divided into three categories: Primary, Secondary and
Tertiary.
The Tertiary health institutions are operated by the federal
government involving teaching hospitals and federal medical centers in the
country, the Secondary takes care of state hospitals referred to as general
hospitals run by state governments while the last tier which is the primary is
operated by the local governments. Primary health care system has a wider
coverage and is operated mostly in rural communities. It aims at improving the
health status of patients at the grass roots through diagnosis and treatment of
common diseases as well as other services as counseling and referrals. Other
areas it covers includes health education, disease prevention and screening. In
a nutshell a primary health care center or facility is a small unit which
provides a family with the health services other than those which can only be
provided in a hospital. Primary health care covers, the primary health care
center, the primary health care clinic and the primary health care post.
In line with the
Federal Government’s policy of rehabilitating over 10,000 PHCs in the country
within the next two years, the Niger State Government has flagged-off the
rehabilitation exercise with the commissioning of its pilot project.
According to EagleOnline, Niger State Government has also kick started free surgery that is
simultaneously ongoing in all the 25 Local Government Areas of the State.
Performing the
commissioning ceremony of the PHC in Beji village, the Minister of Health,
Prof. Isaac Adewole, expressed happiness with Niger Sate Government for
rehabilitating the PHC and making it functional for the benefit of local
communities in Bosso Local Government Area.
Adewole said: “Let
me say it clearly: I am the happiest man on earth today.
“When we made that policy
decision that we needed to reposition health care in our country, we formulated
a strategy for one functional primary healthcare centre per political ward.
“That implied that
we would develop 10,000 PHCs and give access to free and qualitative health
care to over 100 million Nigerians.
“Many people
thought it was impossible.
“Even at
international level, people even asked us how we would do it.
“Your Excellency,
you have made us proud.
“I want to assure
you that for touching the lives of the people, for caring, making the
impossible possible, we would work with you, we would partner with you to
provide commodities and human resources.
“Our people deserve
the best and you are giving them the best.
“God would give you
the best as well.”
The Minister urged
other State Governors to emulate the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani
Bello, so as to fast tract the achievement of the Universal Health Coverage.
Adewole also
commissioned Infectious Diseases Isolation Centre located within Minna General
Hospital in the state capital.
Earlier, Governor
Bello had said when he took over the mantle of leadership in the state, the PHC
centres were not functioning well, he resolved with his cabinet and other
health stakeholders to rehabilitate them.
Bello said: “Our
goal in the healthcare agenda is to provide qualitative, sustainable and
affordable healthcare service to majority of the masses, especially those
living in the rural areas, so that we can improve the health indices in the
state as we implement our plan of providing one fully functional PHC in each of
the 274 wards in the state.”
On the free
surgeries, the Governor said it was an effort to bring the services to the
people in the rural areas who may not be able to afford it.
He said the essence
was to address the financial constrains of rural dwellers in accessing
qualitative healthcare services in the state.
