Admin|14 February 2016|7:07pm
'It is mandatory for each state of the federation to establish a state Primary Health Care Agency. This is in line with the provisions of the new National Health Act'. -Dr. Ado Muhammed
The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Ado Muhammed disclosed this while receiving the Special Adviser to Cross River Governor on Community and Primary Healthcare, Dr. (Mrs.) Betta Edu who paid him a courtesy call in his office in Abuja.
Dr. Ado disclosed that 32 states out of the 36 states of the federation and FCT had established their own state Primary Health Care Development Agencies and expressed the hope that Cross River would join the league of such states without further delay.
Dr. Ado disclosed that the Federal Government had initiated a new strategy for revitalization of Primary Health Care in the country. However, he noted that the state has lost alot of financial support from the national and will not even recieve the basic healthcare fund in April if they do not have a SPHCDA.
According to him, the Federal Government planned to make 10,000 Primary Health Care centers functional, adding that 5,000 would be done in 2017.
Dr Ado, however clarified that making 10,000 health centers functional did not mean building new PHC's. Each political ward, he disclosed, must have a functional Primary Health Centre.
He commended the proactive steps recently taken by the Cross River State Government and the commitment demonstrated by the provisions of Primary Health Care Services and assured the State Government of continued Federal Government support on Primary Health Care services.
Speaking earlier, the Special Adviser to the Cross River State Governor on Community and Primary Health Care, Dr. (Mrs.) Betta Edu solicited Federal Government's support for strengthening Primary Health Care in Cross River State.
Dr. Edu disclosed that the state Governor, Sen. (Prof.) Ben Ayade persobally directed her to visit the chief Executive of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency in Abuja in continued pursuit of the Governor's determination to establish CRSPHCDA and secure necessary Federal Government's support as well as intervention on PHC for the benefit of the people of Cross River.
Dr. Edu advocated a closer collaboration between the Federal Government and Cross River State Government for effective Primary Health Care services delivery.
Charles Ekanem
P.A -Media & Publicity, to the Special Adviser to Cross River State Governor on Community & Primary Health Care
