FG, States To Build Additional 9,300 PHCs In 4 Years

The  federal government, in collaboration with states government and development partners, have unveiled plans to build additional 9,300 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) over the next four years.

This initiative aimed at increasing PHCs from 8,300 to 17, 600 nationwide and will be complemented with the training of 120,000 Frontline Health Workers, expected to be flagged off soon as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Coordinating minister for Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate disclosed this in his Keynote Address at the 2-day Meeting of North East Forum of Honourable Commissioners of Health flagged off in Maiduguri on Monday.

Pate who was represented by the executive director of National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Muyi Aina said the three pronged strategic approach adopted by the Agency include Institutional Strengthening and effective coordination of all Primary Healthcare services, efficient, equitable, quality and trust worthy services, and strong collaboration with all Stakeholders towards achieving frontline health security and  routinized basic health care services among others.

He emphasised the need for collective interventions of Federal,  State and Development Partners to be more people centred and well coordinated to achieve overall sustainable goals.

The North East like much of Nigeria, he regretted, still has unacceptably poor health induces which calls for strong collaboration rather than fragmentation of efforts at national and Subnational levels.

The minister said” the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Investment Programme which encapsulates our strategic vision for the sector” was geared towards cohesive common goal to save lives, reduce both physical and financial pains and produce health for all Nigerians.”

In his opening remarks, the executive governor of Borno state, Prof Baba Gana Umara Zulum called on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to fulfill its promises to state as regards  enhanced TB reduction and management, provision of DNA Machines for Gender Based Violence management,  construction of hospitals in Biu and Munguno LGAs.

Zulum noted that “these promises were not mere expression of goodwill, they represented lifelines for our people, for mothers delivering children, for victims of unimaginable violence and for entire communities struggling against diseases”.