Primary healthcare services not affected by COVID-19 – NPHCDA boss

SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri 

Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) have remain open throughout the country, including states with a lockdown order, Dr Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director/CEO, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, stated in a release on Friday.

According to Dr Shuaib, the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country should not affect the routine services provided by the PHCs.

He said, “The general public, especially  parents and caregivers are hereby informed that all Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) remain open throughout the country, including states with a lockdown order. 

He assured that no cause for alarm as all the PHCs across the states have adapted to safer measures to render services amid spread of the coronavirus.

“Governments at the national, state and local levels have put in place measures for safe delivery of all Primary Health Care services at the PHC centres. 

“I therefore urge  parents and caregivers to continue, as usual, to take their children to the PHCs closest to them for immunization, growth monitoring, ante natal care, child birth and all other PHC related service delivery,” he said.

The NPHCDA boss, however, advised all caregivers, health workers and Nigerians to obey all government guidelines on social distancing, frequent hand washing with soap and water, self isolation, etc throughout the period of  COVID-19 outbreak.