CRC, Stakeholders Demand Adequate Funding, Quality Primary Healthcare Centers iin Anambra

By Praise Chinecherem

Stakeholders in the health sector have recommended strengthening Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) in Anambra state through adequate funding, provision of amenities and consumables to meet community needs.

The call was made during a one-day Stakeholders Engagement Meeting staged by the Civil Rights Concern (CRC) in partnership with Community Empowerment Network and Justice Development and Peace Commission.

Participants at the forum were drawn from Ministry of Health, Primary Healthcare Agency, Anambra State Health Insurance Agency, Town Unions, Ward Development Committees and Civil Society Organisations.

Executive Director, Civil Rights Concern, Okey Onyeka, underscored the importance of revitalising primary and maternal healthcare system by addressing funding gaps.

He also emphasized the need to prioritize healthcare delivery by making it accessible with high quality services as well as retraining of skilled professionals.

“We want to examine the reasons why the health sector funding especially primary and maternal healthcare funding is not released. Why are they not funding those interventions that will improve delivery of services to the centres?

“While looking at various budget items that are in the primary healthcare budget, the specific ones that were funded, we saw it is really very poor in terms of interventions government has given to their budgeted items.

“Why is drug budget not funded, why is equipment budget not funded? That’s why we gathered the relevant stakeholders so they can proffer the answers for necessary actions,” he said.

Also speaking, Program Manager, SPARK 2 Program, Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Samuel Ololo called on the government to adopt measures to enhance maternal health services.

He pledged his organization’s commitment to work with the Anambra State Town Union Council (ASTUC) to mobilise community participation, monitoring and coordination of activities towards improving maternal healthcare.

Ololo called on government to sustain every maternal and child survival intervention programs as well as prompt remittance of Basic Healthcare Provisional Fund amongst other funding needs to boost the capacity of PHCs.

Other speakers, including Comrade Chike Ugboma, President General, Amiyi Community, Ogbaru LGA, Debora Atuenyi, Ward Development Committee, Utu Primary Healthcare Center, advocated for provision of basic necessities for the Centers.

Appreciating government’s efforts in the health sector, the stakeholders however, highlighted the need to bridge the gap between health policy and implementation.

“Government should be encouraged to provide every needed items and consumables to make its free ante natal and delivery policy functional in Primary Healthcare Centers,” Atuenyi quipped.