NAN-H-36
Partnership
By Sunday John
Lafia, Nov. 29, 2016 (NAN) A coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), in Nasarawa State, will partner the House of Assembly to amend the law establishing Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in the state.
A leader of the coalition, Mr Nawani Aboki, made the announcement on Tuesday in Lafia during an advocacy visit to the chairman and members of the House of Assembly Committee on Health.
Aboki, who is also the Executive Director, Centre for Women, Youths and Community Action (NACWYCA), said the NGOs want the agency to be restructured in line with the national standard for effective service delivery.
The NGOs he said, want the office of the agency’s chairman to be created different from the chairman of the agency.
He added that the government should also be saddled with the responsibility of appointing members of the board of the agency.
Aboki said that the NGOs also want offices of the agency to be established in all the 13 Local Government Areas of the state to meet national standards.
“If the agency is properly structured, it will give room for check and balance and enable it access support from donor agencies to improve healthcare delivery at the local level.
“If so much power is vested on an individual, it gives room for abuse of office and scepticism in terms of transparency that international donors look out for, “Aboki added.
The executive director commended the state government for making efforts to bring all the components of Primary Health Care in the state under one umbrella through the establishment of an agency.
He expressed the determination of the coalition to complement government’s efforts to improve health care at the local level.
In his response, Mohammadu Okpede, the chairman, House Committee on Health, commended the NGOs for the visit and promised to do everything possible to amend the law establishing the agency.
“In no distance time our committee will work out modalities to amend the law to meet up with the national standards,” he promised.
Okpeded urged the coalition to put their s advice and suggestions in written and forwards it to the committee to facilitate its work. (NAN)
SDJ/FAT/AEA
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Edited by Fatima Sule/Archibong Asuquo