Charles Ekanem|25 September 2017
Director General of Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (CRSPHCDA), Dr Betta Edu yesterday received a delegation from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Pathfinders international who were in Calabar to monitor progress made in their ingoing projects in the communities NegroidHaven has learnt.
Speaking, Dr Betta Edu said its been a wonderful partnership between the State, USAID and Pathfinders targeted at improving healthcare for mothers and children to maximum standard.
According to her several interventions have been carried out by USAID through Pathfinders including selection of about 90 facilities to improve the quality of services as influx of people keep increasing in those facilities while also building human capacities and training for LGAs doctors midwives,Chews, on family planning, essential newborn care and post abortion care. She noted that the have been tremendous increase in community awareness and supportive supervision.
She said the SMGL has brought about strong partnership that has the health system beginning from the primary healthcare which is seen as the entrance of healthcare; strengthened.
Dr Edu went further to mention few things the state have benefitted from the several USAID project such as installations of over 60 Solar panel unit in our health centers, step up support by collaborating with USAID and General Electric to provide 50 ultrasound machines in Cross River State which the State Governor, His Excellency, Senator ( Prof) Ben Ayade commended the gesture as a good move to improve quality healthcare in the State.
She mentioned several other things such as Delivery kits (Mama Kits) and their support to the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency Multi Operational Plan for 3 years.
Finally she said SMGL has introduced Emergency Transport Services in the communities for pregnant mothers. This according to her will address one of the three delays which causes Maternal Mortality that is the delay to transport a woman in labour to the facility
She added that for the past four months health centers in Cross River State have been receiving medical equipment under the Project CURE program of USAID.
Earlier Speaking, Chief of Party Pathfinders, Dr Farouk Jega who led the USAID on the visit noted that for three years they have been partnering with Cross River State to promote safe motherhood and reduce maternal and newborn mortality across the 18 LGAs with clusters on health facilities.
He pointed that the purpose of the visit was to enable USAID Pathfinder Boston office figure out some technicalities of the digital health services they are implementing through the Save Mother and Giving Lives initiative ( SMGL) , like Hello mama project etc.
Dr Jega went further to state that SMGL lead for Nigeria is also here to see the connectivity between public and private çenters by working in cluster to see improvement in the quality of care and referral while getting appropriate data of the program.
He said the team will be spending one week in Cross River State in which they will be touring their project facilities.
Also speaking, the Board Secretary of the Agency, Dr Eric Edrah said the Agency hold pathfinders in high esteem and will simply want to join his voice with that of the Governor, Commissioner for Health and the DG to say a big thank you to USAID noting that so much has been achieved in term of reduction in maternal mortality.
Present in the meeting were all Unit head of the Agency, the Director of Administration, Pastor (Barr) Daniel Effiom, State Project Coordinator of Pathfinders, Dr Yemisi Femi-Pius, Digital health advisor Pathfinders, Justin Maly Boston, Lauren Spigel, SMGL Nigeria lead and other senior pathfinders project managers.
Charles Ekanem
Is a health reporter
