Despite the national drive for Universal Health Coverage (UHC), which ensures access to affordable and quality health care, over 80 percent of Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities are non-functional in Niger State, the government disclosed recently.
The Permanent Secretary, Niger State Ministry of Health, Mr. Makusidi Mohamad, speaking at a two-day retreat on PHC in Abuja, said the state has over 1,400 PHC facilities in the state, but that only less than 20 percent are functional.
Mohamad decried that Nigeria, which clocked 59 years of independence still records bad health indices because of the long neglect and poor handling of PHCs in the country.
He, however, informed that as part of efforts to tackle the problem, the state government has developed a state-wide strategic development plan and a health policy document called “the Niger Health 1.0” to address the challenges in primary health care delivery.
The permanent secretary added that the state government was also working assiduously and passionately to revitalise or construct at least one PHC per ward.
According to him, about 40 have so far been remodeled to meet required standards and 250 midwives have been recruited.
He said, “We have over 1,400 primary health facilities but less than 20 percent are functional. We have identified that in the 274 wards there should be one functional PHC, we have also accessed the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
“Revitalisation started two years ago and there are different parameters to this in terms of human resource, equipment, structural remodeling or renovation.
“Virtually, we have already disbursed the 274 facilities with basic minimal equipment and almost 40 have been renovated and remodeled to meet up to the national standard of PHC.
“In terms of human resource, recruitment have also been done, we have recruited 250 midwives and posted them.”