23rd January, 2012
Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, has made known the vision of the government for the health sector this year.
He said the government would pay more attention to Primary Health Care, PHC, in the state this year, saying that the vision of the government was to ensure at least one PHC in each ward in the state.
“Primary Health Care remains a pertinent focus and government has decided to step in and work with the local governments on this. We are going to establish PHC in batches,” he said.
Idris, who spoke at an interactive session in Lagos, southwest Nigeria, said government would focus on completing health projects awarded last year, such as the Cardiac Renal Centre, Gbagada.
“Our emphasis is to complete all those uncompleted projects such as the Cardiac Renal Centre. We hope to complete Ayinke House this year. The staff Clinic should be completed this year.
“Two more Maternal and Child Centre, MCC, are being built and will be completed this year. They are Amuwo Odofin and Alimosho MCC. Government has also decided to locate two more MCC in Epe and Badagry to take care of people in remote areas,” he said.
Idris added that the state government had begun refurbishing mortuaries in the state, saying that the contract for the rehabilitation of the Isolo General Hospital mortuary has been awarded.
The commissioner added that government would embark on aggressive immunisation this year in a bid to fight polio among children from ages zero to five years.
According to him, mental health care would also be a priority in government’s planning, adding that public enlightenment would be carried out in motor parks to educate drivers on the danger of hypertension and diabetes, among others.
Idris stated that the government would wage relentless war against fake drugs and contaminated foods this year.