NANFeatures/Vol.10/No.232/2016 (Oct. 6)
Re-positioning primary healthcare centres
A News Analysis by Jacinta Nwachukwu, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Primary Health Care was inaugurated in 1987 to accelerate healthcare, improve health data management and implement the expanded programme on immunisation in rural communities.
The initiative tends to ensure that the presence of primary healthcare centres, mostly in rural communities, improves healthcare at the grassroots through diagnosis and treatment of common diseases.
However, stakeholders note that with increasing prevalence of diseases arising from lack of basic facilities, available healthcare infrastructural facilities have been stressed.
Concerned by this development and the increasing epidemiological challenge in rural communities, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, announced the inclusion of the treatment of chronic diseases at the primary healthcare centres.
Speaking recently in Abuja at a news conference, he said the inclusion of the treatment of chronic diseases would also decongest the nation’s hospitals and provide access to certain specialised services for the rural dwellers.
“Nigeria is currently undergoing an epidemiological transition, and the rise in prevalence of non-communicable diseases has implications on demands for healthcare services.
“The health system hence needs to be positioned to respond effectively to these new challenges and be able to offer quality services towards the management of the associated co-morbidities of non-communicable diseases,’’ he said.
Adewole also expressed concern about the report of the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicating that 24 per cent of illness related death in Nigeria was caused by non-communicable diseases with diabetes accounting for two per cent.
According to him, WHO mentions the four main types of non-communicable diseases to include cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and stroke, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and diabetes.
The minister stressed that the health sector would develop new policy on diabetes, cancers and stroke for effective management of the diseases.
“We aim to incorporate the management of chronic illnesses into the benefit package to be delivered to Nigerians at the primary care level,’’ he noted.
Adewole said further that Federal Government had developed the National Policy and Strategic Plan of Action on non-communicable diseases and a national nutritional guideline on prevention, control and management of the ailments.
He observed that WHO had planned to scale up diabetes prevention efforts, strengthen healthcare delivery and enhance surveillance.
Irrespective of this, the former Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, urged governments and stakeholders in the health sector to pool their resources toward strengthening the country’s health system, especially at the primary level.
He said that although, the sector had witnessed significant improvements from what it was in the pre-colonial era, stakeholders should do more.
“There is still room for improvements since the health sector had continued to experience deficiencies in its development in which many people cannot access good healthcare at the grassroots.
“Drugs are very expensive and not within the reach of the common man; that has forced them to patronise hospitals, health centres and chemists’ established by quacks,’’ he said.
Chukwu said the public would be able to enjoy healthcare facilities by strengthening the primary healthcare centres with personnel and drugs.
“We need to produce enough health personnel to boost health care system in Nigeria.
“Both the Federal Government and state governments need to focus on helping to build the capacity of the health workers in the country.
“Medical researchers need to come up with findings that will help to improve the nation’s healthcare sector.
“The healthcare system in Nigeria also needs experts to brace up to the emerging challenges in the system,’’ he said.
He also observed that the outbreaks of Ebola Virus Disease, Lassa fever and the recent development in the health sector had placed emphasis on the need for government and other stakeholders to prioritise research in the country.
He advised both the Federal Government and state ministries of health to improve on their services and intensify their constant surveillance on disease control in the country.
“They can achieve this by making findings from their researches and reports from their surveillance public weekly, monthly or quarterly,’’ he said.
Chukwu said that he was certain that the current Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, was capable of bringing positive change to healthcare system in the country.(NANFeatures)
**If used, please credit the writer as well as News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)