Charles Ekanem|2 July 2016|3:50pm
With the economic downturn in the country and state, the role of development partners filling existing gaps in the primary health care system can't be overemphasised. As such Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency has gone all out seeking this effective partnership to revamp the system.
Pathfinder International in collaboration with WE CARE SOLAR are to provide Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (CRSPHCDA) with 50 highly efficient solar energy systems to provide lighting in PHCs that have poor access to light. This will also boost services in the Saving Mothers Giving Life PHC centers.
Medical Lighting, Mobile Communication and Essential Medical Devices.
According to Dr Yemisi Pius, State Program Manager of Pathfinders, WE CARE will do the supply while SMGL will handle the installation and training of CRSPHCDA/PHC facility staff to manage and maintain the solar system. The Solar facility which contains 4 Led Lights, Feotal Doppler, batteries charger and a mobile phone charging port to enable health workers charge their phone, is to be placed in the labour and delivery room, emergency room and resuscitation room. This will aid timely, safe, appropriate emergency obstetric care and lower maternal and neonatal
morbidity and mortality in the rural areas.
The system also provided reliable lighting and power to the operating room and maternity ward. She said their organization will continue partnering with Cross River State Government to make sure maternal mortality is defeated in the state.
Responding, Dr Betta Edu thanked Pathfinder International and We Care Solar for filling in an identified gap in the PHC system. She said she's very confident that after these installations CRS will notice decline in institutional maternal deaths, increase in uptake of maternal services by members of the community who will be confident that the can access quality care at any time of the night, with an increased capacity of PHC workers to admit mothers in labor. She said the Solar from what she has seen is user-friendly and can be easily maintained by frontline health workers which used to be the challange with previous solar systems supplied. She said that CRSPHCDA will be willing to partner with WE CARE SOLAR and pathfinder to ensure more solars are brought in to cover more PHCs in remote villages starting with the 196 PHC/Ward.
Dr Edu informed Pathfinder of the current strides recorded by the passionate State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade and his wife Dr Linda Ayade on reduction of maternal mortality in the state through her pet project Mediatrix Development Foundation. She assured the organization of government continuous support for fight against maternal mortality. She further stated the Commissioner for Health Dr Inyang Asibong, who is the leader of the health team is doing everything within her strides to revitalise the PHC system which is the focus of the new administration, noting that this partnership will help CRS achieve the one functional PHC per ward long before other state achieve same.
The 50 solar energy system on arrival will go a long way to support PHC's with high rate of delivery in the night and strengthen maternal and child health care services. The complete set of 50 is expected to arrive CRS next week.
Charles Ekanem
Is the media aide to the DG Pri Health Care, CRS
