By John Odhe, YENAGOA
Stakeholders in Bayelsa State have advocated for a stronger community participation in primary healthcare delivery.
They made the advocacy when they gathered for a citizens’ engagement town hall meeting with the state primary healthcare leadership aimed at improving the quality of primary healthcare delivery in the state.
The town hall meeting, held in Yenagoa, had in attendance traditional and religious leaders, community development committee chairmen, primary healthcare workers and residents from different communities across the local government areas of the state.
Ugomma Nyananyo, representative of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), who spoke on the topic, “Strengthening Primary Healthcare in Nigeria Through Reforms, Citizens’ Collaboration and Accountability,” emphasized the need for people to see primary healthcare as a collective responsibility and not something to be handled by the health sector alone.
She noted that data gathered revealed a gap in the way people utilize primary healthcare centres in the state, adding that revitalisation of primary healthcare centres is currently ongoing across Bayelsa State.
She urged members of the public to make use of the facilities and ensure they are properly protected by the communities where they are located.
She also implored stakeholders to ensure that level one primary healthcare centres are upgraded to level two facilities in order to strengthen the quality of healthcare services available to residents.
Also speaking, Makio Perekeme, a health consultant, said community ownership was important in strengthening primary healthcare delivery.
According to him, some members of communities do not see primary healthcare centres as their own and, as such, do not care for them as much as they should.
He encouraged residents to support health workers posted to various primary healthcare facilities across the state in order to improve quality healthcare delivery.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Williams Appah, Executive Secretary of the Bayelsa State Primary Health Board, appreciated participants for honouring the invitation and stressed that issues concerning primary healthcare should not be trivialised.
Appah assured participants that contributions from the session would help address primary healthcare challenges in the state.
Participants at the town hall meeting, including traditional and religious leaders, appreciated the organisers and pledged their support and commitment towards strengthening primary healthcare centres across the state.
