26th September, 2016
The UNICEF on Monday revealed nine elements for improving Primary Health Care services under the Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) strategy.
Dr Abdulai Kaikai, UNICEF Chief Field Officer in Bauchi, made this known at a stakeholders engagement meeting on Repositioning Primary Health Care Facilities held at Gembu in Taraba.
He said that the elements are organisation, legislation, minimum service package, repositioning, system development, operational guidelines, human resources, funding/structure and office set up.
He said that the fund was sponsoring the PHCUOR strategy as an operational guideline to all Primary Health Care Development Agencies (PHCDA) across the country.
Kakai commended the Taraba State PHCDA for improving its service delivery and pledged that the UNICEF would continue to support the agency.
“We are aware of the score from the assessment done a year ago of 25 percent and have collectively witnessed improvement in the Taraba State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA).
“The agency now has an improved internal assessment score of 37 percent, six months from the first assessment,” he said.
Mr. Victor Bala, the Chairman Taraba State PHCDA said that the health situation of the state would be improved when critical challenges affecting it were addressed.
He listed the challenges to include inadequate water and electricity, obsolete equipment, low supply of drugs, irregular and inadequate staff remuneration and low staff morale.
“This scenario cannot be allowed to continue or else our children and those unborn will have no future and we will be a wasteland of disabilities and liabilities,” Bala said.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Agency, Alhaji Aminu Hassan, expressed optimism on the successful implementation of the PHCUOR strategy in the state.
He commended the UNICEF for its continued support to the state toward enhancing health care service delivery.
Aminu appealed to the state government to release the agency’s take-off grant for effective take off of its activities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PHCUOR is aimed at integrating primary health care services under a single authority to reduce fragmentation.