Awka – The Executive Secretary of Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, (ASPHCDA), Dr Chioma Ezenyimulu says the challenge of Primary Health Centres across the state, running out of stock for drugs, has become a thing of the past since Governor Willie Obiano established the Agency in 2015.
Dr. Ezenyimulu disclosed this on Sunday in an exclusive chat with TNC correspondent, in Awka.
The ASPHCDA, is an agency of the state government charged with overseeing the activities of the over 326 Primary Health Centres in Anambra State.
Prior to its establishment, the management of the PHCs were done by the Health Department of the various Local Government Authorities.
Ezenyimulu observed that before the establishment of the agency in 2015, the condition of primary healthcare centres in the state, was nothing to write home about.
This she noted included management of the centres, the quality of health infrastructure and the drug’s capacity.
“Before the governor came and established the ASPHCDA, drugs were always out of stock at the centres. It is on record that Governor Obiano was the one that started the Anambra drug revolving fund. There was also the massive rehabilitation of PHCs across the state,” she noted.
The ASPHCDA Boss maintained that immediately the PHCs were integrated under the agency, things began to change, with the PHC facilities being renovated and provided with equipment including generating sets and Keke ambulances with oxygen for prompt emergency response.
“Basic health care is premised on one primary health care centre per political ward. And it’s our aim that every political ward will have a functional primary healthcare centre. We began with 176. Today, we have covered quite a sizable number, over 326 PHCs and still moving. The overall intent is to bring quality and accessible healthcare to our people especially those in the hinterlands which spell very low health indices for the state,” Dr. Ezenyimulu revealed.
The ASPHCDA Executive Secretary revealed that Anambra State had qualified to benefit from the Basic healthcare fund which is 1% of the nation’s consolidated revenue and that the funds are judiciously being used to provide basic health services to our people.
“In 2018, Anambra State took first position in immunization in Nigeria because of Governor Obiano’s investment in the basic health care delivery system. We have a functional health care development agency because there’s a law backing our activities,” she said.
Dr. Ezenyimulu also spoke of programs like maternal, new born and child health week which is done twice a year, immunization, de-worming, family planning, free antenatal care among others, through which the Agency had significantly improved the health status of people of the state.
