Facilities
By Douglas Okoro
Abakaliki, June 11, 2024 (NAN) A Non -governmental organisation in Ebonyi, Development Integrity Goal (DIG) Foundation has expressed worry over the poor condition of primary health centres in the state.
called for renovation of Primary Healthcare Facilities in the state to meet the health care needs of the citizens.
The foundation made the observation during the Health Sector Advocacy Alliance Roundtable for media and Civil Society Organisations organised by ‘Green-The-Red-Health Sector Cluster’ in collaboration with DIG.
The workshop was implemented with support from the United Agency for International Development (USAID).
Mr Oliver Ajah , Executive Director of DIG, said that out of the N9 billion budgeted for the health sector in the 2024 fiscal year, only N9 million had so far been released to the sector by the state government for the first quarter covering January, February and March.
the result of USAID State2State 2020 report conducted in 171 Primary Healthcare Facilities by the state Ministry of Health indicated a poor state of public health facilities in the state.
According to him, the report done in collaboration with Health Policy Plus showed that 96 per cent of the Primary Healthcare facilities needed various degrees of renovations.
The report further noted that 46 per cent of the facilities had no fence, while 35 per cent has no forms of power supply with 47 per cent of them without alternative power supply.
According to the group, only 40 per cent of the facilities has functional toilet, but no good waste management while 55 per cent has no sources of water supply in the facilities and described it as worrisome.
The foundation explained that Ebonyi was yet to fulfill the 2001 Abuja declaration of allocating 15 per cent of its annual budget to health sector adding that only the Ebonyi Health Insurance Authority (EBSHIA) accessed a little percentage of its budget releases.
“Ebonyi has never fulfilled the 2001 Abuja declaration of allocating 15 per cent budget to health, and budget releases for the sector.
“For instance, ministry of health has less than one per cent annual capital budget release in 2022.
“Ebonyi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EBSPHCDA) and other sister agencies/Institutions had zero per cent capital budget performances in 2022, and 2024 first quarter.
“The healthcare facilities in the state also had challenges of inadequate manpower, some dilapidated and non-existence of some infrastructures among others.
This results to high out-of-pocket expenditure for vulnerable groups coupled with poor healthcare services.
“The result of USAID State2State baseline of 2020 also confirmed the 2019 baseline survey conducted in 171 Primary Healthcare Facilities by Ebonyi State Ministry of Health in collaboration with HP Plus.
“However, it is worthy to note that the health sector budget performance in the last quarter of 2023 under this administration was very promising, but the drop in first quarter of 2024 is worrisome,” Ajah said.
Participants at the workshop including; Mr Samson Nwafor, chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) among others in their separate speeches called on the state government to prioritise the health sector. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
ODO/MNA
Edited by Maureen Atuonwu
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