Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Health, Amos Gwamna, during an interaction session with officials of the Akwa Ibom State ministry of health in Uyo .
House of Representatives Committee on Health Services has advised that Primary Healthcare Centres should not be run by National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) medical doctors because they are on transit during the national service.
Instead such healthcare facilities should have medical doctors employed by the government posted to the third tier healthcare centres.
Chairman of the committee, Amos Gwamna, gave the advice during an interaction with the officials of the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health after an oversight duty to the state.
He said though it was important to have magnificent buildings as primary healthcare centres, the essence of expanding healthcare services to the people at the grassroots would be defeated if such centres do not have qualified health workers providing services.
Gwamna criticized the idea of retaining health workers, who have since retired adding that the best approach would be recruit health personnel to boost healthcare services.
He explained that the Committee’s visit was part of its national oversight function to assess how states were utilizing the basic healthcare provision fund and how primary healthcare systems are being run.
While commending Governor Umo Eno for the innovations in the health sector, he urged better utilisation of the funds saying that going forward only states that have paid their counterpart funds would benefit from the scheme
Gwamna who had earlier joined other members of the committee to inspect the Model Primary Health Centre on Wellington Bassey Way and several other healthcare facilities across the State, described the centre as one of the best the Committee has seen anywhere in the country.
“Please extend my appreciation to the governor for his good works. We have been to several states, but I can tell you that we haven’t seen anything compared to what we saw here in Akwa Ibom.
“The Model Primary Health Centre is impressive, and the fact that the State Government is replicating this same project across all local government areas is commendable and is something that should be replicated across the country,” he said.
“Primary healthcare is the first line of access for the people, and if we got it right, our entire health sector would thrive, ” he said.
Earlier, the Akwa-Ibom State Commissioner for Health, Ekem John, outlined the achievements in the health sector including the renovation of healthcare facilities, the planned inauguration of a General Hospital in Ukanafun, and the approval for the recruitment of 2000 health workers
The commissioner also explained steps being taken to retain health workers including medical doctors, adding that Governor Umo Eno has approved additional incentives and allowances to medical doctors.
He said the declaration of the state of emergency in the health sector was part of efforts to reposition healthcare services in the state.
“We currently have three technical teams comprising architects and surveyors who have gone round the State. By the end of March next year, we expect to deliver fully revitalized general hospitals with new infrastructure, equipment, and accommodation for healthcare personnel,” he said.
During a presentation, a medical doctor and the executive secretary of the state health insurance agency, Igbemi Arthur, disclosed that over 145,000 people have been enrolled on the scheme since its inception in September last year.
He also disclosed that plans are onboard by the agency to bring in the informal sector to the scheme, adding that the governor had paid for all junior workers to be enrolled in the scheme while services for the formal sector would commence soon.
The State Primary HealthCare Development Agency, Dr. Eno Attah, also highlighted the progress achieved under the current administration’s health policy reforms, including the construction of primary healthcare facilities across the state.
