Anambra State government retrains healthcare givers to be more effective

A two-day Orientation Training Programme was organised by the Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, ASPHCDA, for staff, including Local Government Heads of Departments, HODs.

The training has been aimed at establishing of the Anambra State Primary Healthcare Agency and Primary Healthcare under one roof, PHCUOR.

Chioma Ezenyimulu, the executive secretary, ASPHCDA, said while addressing participants that the orientation was to enable the management and staff to have deeper insight about creation, activities and programmes of the agency in the state.

She said that the agency was created in 2015 with a 15-member governing board, with Dr Sunny Ekwunife as its Chairman.

Ezenyimulu said the vision of the agency was to achieve top three positions in the nation for feasible, equitable, affordable and quality integrated primary healthcare system in the state.

“The mission is to provide excellent leadership in the development of community-based system, universal health coverage with functional infrastructure in primary healthcare.’’

She noted that in keeping with her vision, the agency had already achieved first position in the nation on immunisation within the year.

Ezenyimulu, then, enumerated activities being carried out by the agency presently to include, Bi-annual National Immunisation Plus Days, NIPDs, Bi-annual Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week, MNCHW.

Others are Nutrition, Immunisation, Health Education and Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses, IMCI.

She explained that PHCOUR was in line with National Primary Healthcare Development Agency’s policy to have all the Primary Healthcare activities under the agency for proper coordination of primary healthcare in the state.

She highlighted the 10 pillars of PHCUOR, which are good Governance, Legislation, Minimum Service Delivery, Repositioning, System Development and Operational Guideline.

Others are Human Resource, Financial Resource and Structure, Office Setup and Service Delivery.

Ezenyimulu noted that Anambra State had already achieved more than 60 percent of the pillars.

The executive secretary said that according to the National Health Act, a per cent of the consolidated revenue of the Federal Government would go to primary healthcare but could only be accessed when a state has functional state primary healthcare development agency.

Meanwhile, Saving A Million Lives (SOML) programme has disbursed 1.5 million dollars to states, and an additional 500,000 dollars will be disbursed to states that can prove that all the PHC staff are under the SPHCDA.

Ezenyimulu noted the local government health staff had been brought under the agency since March.

The executive secretary said that the agency renovated and equipped 63 PHCs: three per LGA for best health practices, urging Ndi Anambra to always visit the PHCs and access their services.

Ezenyimulu highlighted the benefits of the creation of the agency to include minimising duplication, creation of a single line of authority and management, removing wastes in resource management, promotion of efficiency and effectiveness.

The executive secretary, then, commended Gov. Willie Obiano for his sterling leadership.

She also hailed Joe Akabuike, the Anambra State commissioner for Health, and Peter Egenti, the chairman, Local Government Service Commission, for their support in ensuring that the agency achieved its mandate.

The heads of departments and units in the agency gave their presentation on their roles and duties to the agency.

In separate vote of thanks, Chukwudi Njelita, the head of Department of Health, Orumba South LGA, and one of the staff of the agency, Beatrice Mgbike commended the executive secretary and the management team.

They noted that the orientation had helped to enrich their knowledge and the role of the agency in the state.

They pledged their support toward the success of the agency.

– Dec. 10, 2018 @ 13:15 GMT |