Efio-Ita Nyok|22 January 2016|4:29pm
Information reaching our Health Desk from the Office of the Personal Assistant to the Special Adviser on Community and Primary Health care suggest very strongly that, in line with the State Governor, Sen.(Prof.) Ben Ayade's policies to provide stable and unbeatable quality healthcare services to Cross Riverians, Dr Betta Edu, his Special Adviser on Community Health and Primary Healthcare, yesterday defended her departmental budget for 2016.
Captured in her budget are innovative and new ways of delivering quality health care to the door step of everyone in the CRS communities. One of such innovations is the
*Community Mobile Diagnostic Centers that will help pick up early cases of diseases in the communities and referrals for proper treatment. It also contained
*Renovation of a new premise for the Department to aid speedy transition to Primary Health Care Development Agency. She threw light on the
*State Fumigation Programme,
*Hand washing (anti-diarrhoea) Sensitization program,
*Advocacy visit to all communities and *Free medical outreach especially in the rural areas.
According to the Personal Assistant -Media & Publicity to the S.A, Mr. Charles Ekanem, Dr Betta intimated the house that partners are ready (most of them in the state already) to enter into partnership with the Department. This according to her will foster a speedy actualization of government targets on quality healthcare service delivery. She informed the House on money expected from the Primary Healthcare Development Fund and the percentage of money meant to be paid by LGA's for the smooth running of primary healthcare facilities in the state.
Members of the House Committee on Budget and Appropriation asked how she intend to run and generate revenue for the state through the State Fumigation Programme. In her response, the Special Adviser said the department will commercialize the programme and extends it beyond hotels and tourist centers to churches, residential areas, companies' layout etc.
She further stated that the metamorphosis of the department to an agency will enable them access Federal Government funding for primary Healthcare in the state.
On his part, the Speaker Rt. Hon. John Gaul Lebo spoke extensively on the need to treat the budget with care due to the interest of the Governor to revamp the health sector and deliver quality healthcare services to the people. He commended government introduction of the State Health Insurance Scheme, Hospital Management Board and transition of Department of Community Health and Primary Healthcare to an Agency. He said healthcare services is very vital to the people, as such the house will not like to hinder progress made by the Department to contain health challenges in the state.
Finally the S.A informed the legislators that the digital Governor Sen.(Prof.) Ben Ayade has approved the assessment of all the 1,013 primary health facilities in the state which will begin in February. This, she noted will act as a base line to measure this administration's achivements in 4yrs. It will also help in gaps identification and planning to deliver quality healthcare services immediately. While working on long term goals actualization. This answer was in response to a question raised by Hon. Nelson Ofem representing Yakurr 1 constituency on the sustainability and upgrading of facilities in Primary Healthcare Centres across the state.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is the Editor of Negroid Haven
