FIC Report (Abia State) – In a bid to ensure that the people of Abia State has access to primary health care,the Dr Alex Otti led Government has promised to ensure that the basic needs of primary Health Care(PHC)is captured in the State’s Budget.
This was disclosed by the Deputy Governor of Abia State Engr Ikechukwu Emetu FNSE while having a meeting with the State taskforce on Primary health at the conference room at Deputy Governors Office, Government House.
Chief Emetu who is also the Chairman of the taskforce noted that the need for Primary Health care in Abia State to be effective should not be downplayed , therefore the need to tackle some of the challenges the taskforce outlined which he pointed out include equipment needs, limited resources/funding gap, Health workforce Shortages ,religious and cultural barriers to immunization and others.
Still speaking he pointed out that the Dr Alex Otti Government is interested in immunization and general health care of Abia people even at rural level hence his drive to create accessible road to rural communities and readiness to capture all the health care needs in the budget.
He enjoined the Primary Health Care Development Agency to work in collaboration with the task force, Religious leader and traditional rulers to ensure that cultural and social barriers are broken.
Earlier while giving opening remark, the Executive Secretary Abia State primary health care development Agency, Dr Kalu U Kalu exposed that the purpose of the meeting is to review the activities of primary Health care in the first quarter, know how far they have gone and faired, identify challenges and how to address them.
He opined that the state has taken into cognizance some of the earlier outlined challenges in the last meeting and is working on giving solutions to it.
Also speaking the Representative of WHO, Dr Jibril Akasim, the Representative UNICEF, Ephram Chukwu and the Representative of NPHCDA, MR Bernard Egwu in their respective goodwill messages promised that as partners of Primary Health Care (PHC), they will continue to support Abia government in provision of vaccines for immunization. They encouraged state government to put their health care environment in order, make funds available on time and to deploy their health care staff to rural area to ensure they are immunized and neo-Natality reduced.
The meeting had in attendance, the Deputy Chief Of Staff, Mr Chijioke Nwankwo, the Chairman Association of Catholic Doctors, Dr Sam Ohaeri and others in attendance.
Signed
Amah Ijeoma
Deputy Governors Office
23/04/2025
