By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NAPHCDA) has organised a one-day townhall meeting on the need for stronger citizen participation and community ownership in improving primary healthcare services in Bauchi State.
The town hall meeting was themed: “Strengthening Primary Healthcare in Bauchi State Through Citizen Engagement and Ownership.”
Speaking at the event, a representative of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Comrade Aliyu Abdulkadir, said that the initiative formed part of the Federal Government’s health sector reforms and the strategic blueprint of the Agency aimed at revitalising primary healthcare services across the country.
He explained that the engagement was designed to bring together stakeholders including media practitioners, women groups, frontline health workers and community leaders to discuss ways of improving service delivery, increasing trust and enhancing community participation in healthcare programmes.
According to him, more than 3,000 frontline health workers have so far been trained in Bauchi State to strengthen immunisation services, maternal healthcare delivery and awareness creation on positive health-seeking behaviour, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Rilwanu Muhammad, pledged the Board’s commitment to continued collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and development partners towards improving maternal and child healthcare services across the state.
Rilwanu Mohammed said that the townhall meeting was prompt as it will afford stakeholders in the health sector, the atmosphere to interact and thereby map out strategies to achieve the set objectives of unhindered access to healthcare services by the citizens.
In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Primary Healthcare Development Board, Sama’ila Irmiya Liman, described the engagement as a platform for identifying challenges affecting primary healthcare services and collectively finding solutions to improve maternal and child healthcare outcomes in communities.
Irimiya Liman stressed the need for stronger collaboration among health workers, community members, women, youths and religious leaders to bridge existing gaps in the healthcare system.
In their respective goodwill messages, representatives of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Aliko Dangote Foundation, Pharmacist Rabi’u Fagge and Solina Centre for International Development, Muhammad Adoniyi reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Board in strengthening healthcare systems and improving service delivery.
They variously commended the Bauchi State Government for its commitment to the health sector, particularly the allocation of over N800 million to support healthcare interventions.
They however, called on stakeholders to work together to address challenges such as zero-dose children, non-compliance with immunisation programmes and poor maternal and child health indices in the state.
Some of the traditional rulers and religious leaders at the forum stressed the need for government to ensure that health facilities are well equipped and made easily accessible for the clients.
Also, some of the caregivers berated some health workers who are always harsh on clients during visit the facilities assuring that they will always visit the facilities for care.
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