Calabar: The Cross River State Government has flagged off the rehabilitation and upgrading of 100 Primary Healthcare Centres across all 18 local government areas of the state, in what officials describe as the most ambitious healthcare infrastructure intervention in the state’s recent history.
Dr Henry Ayuk, the state Commissioner for Health, shared this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Sunday.
He said that the upgrade of PHCs was part of a broader state plan to improve access to health facilities and achieve universal health coverage.
The commissioner said that work at some PHCs had been completed, while work at others was nearing completion.
According to Ayuk, the upgrade of the PHCs was not limited to the buildings alone, but also included facilities.
He disclosed that the project was supported by the World Bank’s IMPACT Project, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and the state government.
“The upgrade includes restoring facilities with modern amenities, improving, and equipping them to provide better maternal and child healthcare services.
“The renovation aims to reduce maternal, neonatal, infant, and under-five mortality rates by increasing access to quality healthcare services.
“These efforts are part of Gov. Otu’s ‘People First’ agenda, aimed at transforming the state’s health infrastructure and ensuring that every political ward in the state has a functional, well-equipped health centre,” he explained.
Ayuk said that, in addition to the renovation and upgrading of the 100 PHCs, secondary health facilities were also receiving attention.
He listed the general hospitals in Ikom, Ogoja, and Calabar. These are some of the secondary health facilities currently receiving attention.
The commissioner said the administration has taken steps to recruit doctors and nurses. They are being deployed to rural areas.
According to him, over 2000 healthcare professionals have been engaged. This includes 31 medical doctors and 150 nurses. They will help strengthen health services across the state.
He said that as part of efforts to improve productivity and efficiency, the government also approved a new welfare package for the medical workers.
“Beyond this engagement, we have also, and the governor determined purposely to ensure that the right salaries are being paid.
On assuming office, medical staff attrition was high. The main reason was the large salary disparity between state and federal doctors.
“We are now paying them 100 per cent, if not more.
“In fact, at the end of the day, the salary that is earned by a medical doctor of the same level as his colleague in the teaching hospital, you get more working for the state,” the commissioner said.
