Bauchi State government has restated its commitment to provide adequate stock of vaccines, essential medicines, and consumables in healthcare facilities, through improved supply chain system and Drug Revolving Fund.
The state deputy governor Baba Tela stated this when he opened the 2022 Annual Primary Healthcare Retreat with the theme: “Towards addressing Maternal and Child Health Challenges in Bauchi State,” held at Yankari Games Reserve, Bauchi yesterday.
He said the move is to consolidate on the progress made in some Maternal and Child Health indicators such as utilisation of antenatal care and immunisation services, as indicated by national surveys and routine data.
Tela who is also the state chairman of Taskforce on Primary Healthcare said the objectives of the retreat are to review the performance of the PHC Annual Operational Plan 2022, identify major challenges of maternal and child health in the state and proffer solutions, to device strategies for optimizing Human Resource for Health as well as to develop effective accountability framework for improved quality of healthcare services.
“I feel highly delighted to participate in the 2022 Primary Health Care End-of-Year Retreat, which is the fourth since assumption in office. This year’s retreat, as that of the previous years, is combined with the quarter-four meeting of the State Task Force on Primary Health Care,” he added.
He said the outcome of the retreat will enable the state to obtain harmonised PHC annual operational plan for 2023, roadmap for mitigating maternal and child health challenges developed, implementable human resource for health strategic plan developed and Robust Accountability Framework developed.
He called on all stakeholders to work closely during the retreat to devise result oriented strategies to ensure improvement of the overall health indicators of the state.
He appreciated the federal government, donor agencies such as the Aliko Dangote and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations, and other development partners for the technical and financial supports accorded to the state.
The deputy governor used the opportunity to appreciate traditional leaders for their unrelenting efforts in grass-root mobilisation and urged them to sustain it for more success to be achieved.
On his part, the Bauchi State commissioner for health, Dr Sabi’u Abdu Gwalabe said the achievements recorded by the state government in the area of healthcare delivery through renovation and upgrade of healthcare facilities are to improve the health sector and pledged to sustain the partnership with partners for better service delivery.
In a keynote address, the emir of Dass, Alhaji Usman Bilyaminu Othman on behalf of members of the Bauchi State Emirate Councils Committee on Health (BASECCOH), reaffirmed their readiness to continue to work with various groups especially the health workers at the community level, to ensure that children are vaccinated, while mothers attend antenatal care and deliver in the health care facilities.
