The Executive Chairman of Ojodu Local Council Development Area, Lagos State, Hon. Segun Odunmbaku, has expressed commitment to implementing an initiative by the Lagos State government to reposition Primary Health Centres, PHCs, as the first point of contact in Lagos’ healthcare system.
He also joined other council chairmen to sign the Lagos State LGA Chairmen’s PHC Compact which serves as a binding institutional commitment of the chairmen to the revitalisation programme for the PHCs.
Odunmbaku spoke at a two-day retreat held in Lagos on May 5 and 6 for chairmen of 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas in Lagos themed ‘Rebuilding the Foundation: A Strategic Retreat for Lagos State Local Government Area Chairmen on Primary Healthcare Revitalisation.’
organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board.
The initiative aimed to drive reforms in primary healthcare delivery in Lagos as a result of pressure on secondary and tertiary hospitals due to underutilized and underfunded PHCs, as well as the role of Council chairmen in ensuring the implementation of the initiative as they are the closest to the grassroots.
It also addressed shortages in the number of PHCs across the state as Lagos currently has 340 PHCs catering for over 22 million residents compared to Malaysia’s 3,000 PHCs for 30 million people,
Speaking on the initiative, Odunmbaku noted that PHCs, when adequately funded, will reduce the number of patients visiting secondary hospitals for health cases that could easily be treated at the primary health centres.
Odunmbaku commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for putting health at the centre of his THEMES+ Agenda and part of the Lagos State Development Plan 2052.
He described as a welcome development the 10-year strategic framework initiative during which the state, local governments and financial institutions such as the African Development Bank, ADB, will finance the construction of 10 flagship prototype PHCs in the state powered by renewable energy, rehabilitates existing health centres, and provides an approved design template for the construction of all primary health centres across the state.
The council chairman further said his administration recognised that local governments are primarily responsible for the running of primary health centres which was the reason he embarked on massive transformation of the health sector as soon as he assumed office.
Under his HEYSRELOADED Agenda , with health as the first pillar, Odunmbaku said his administration constructed new PHCs and rehabilitated existing ones in Oluwole, Akiode, Gbadamosi and Powerline areas of the council equipped with state-of-the-art facilities adding that the new centres had received applause from residents and government officials both at the state and federal level for its world class standard.
Odunmbaku said over 50 medical personnel have been employed at the rejuvenated health centres while over 600 mini surgeries have been successfully done. He, therefore, pledged his administration’s resolve to partner with stakeholders in ensuring the implementation of the new initiative by the state government in Ojodu LCDA.
“At Ojodu LCDA,, we fully support this revitalisation agenda. We recognize that local governments are constitutionally responsible for PHC delivery, and we cannot shy away from that responsibility. We align with the joint implementation of this initiative and will work with all stakeholders to ensure its full implementation in Ojodu,” Odunmbaku said.