GOV. ODODO EXPRESSES DEDICATION TO REVIVING PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES

By Abah Benjamin Eneojoh
January 16, 2025

Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has expressed his commitment to revitalizing the primary health care systems for effective delivery in the state.

The Governor stated this Thursday in Lokoja during the maiden stakeholders engagement meeting of the state’s ministry of health in collaboration with the State Primary Health Care Development Agency at the Riverton Hotels in Lokoja.

In a statement issued by the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Mr Unubi Emmanuel, the Governor who was represented by his Deputy, Elder Joel Salifu noted that the health sector plays a pivotal role in every developed or developing society, and it is the backbone of any responsible government, adding that his administration will not shy away from such responsibility.

He said that the government has revitalized over seventy primary health care centers directly, maintaining that with the support of the World Bank, the state intends to revive additional eighty-eight centres.

Governor Ododo urged Local Government Chairmen, traditional rulers, religious leaders and all critical stakeholders to monitor all health centres within their domain for effective service delivery, affirming that as the chairman of the state taskforce on primary healthcare centres, he would personally pay unscheduled visits to all areas for fact-finding and checks.

He appreciated the development partners for their support towards ensuring functionality of the primary health care system and helping the state achieve universal healthcare coverage.

Earlier in his remark, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza expressed his appreciation to the Governor for giving him the opportunity to serve. He noted that the stakeholders engagement meeting was the first of its kind and that it became necessary because of the lack of adequate healthcare delivery to people in some rural centres.

He said the high infant and maternal mortality rate recorded in the state overtime necessitated the meeting. He urged council authorities, traditional rulers and religious bodies to close ranks and join the government in its efforts to revive the primary health care systems through quarterly meetings, monitoring systems and improved stakeholders collaboration, maintaining that they are the major beneficiaries of the services.

Dr. Adeiza while appreciating the government for its ongoing efforts to revamp the health sector, appealed for more infrastructure and facilities for the primary health-care centres across the state.