The Ogun State Government has commenced the implementation of the Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) policy in Ogun State.
This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary of the state Primary Health Care Development Board, (OGPHECADEB) Dr. Elijah Ogunsola, during a sensitisation meeting with all cadres of health workers across the 20 Local Government Areas and the Primary Health Care (PHC) staffers.
Dr. Ogunsola, according to the Board’s Press Officer, Mrs. Fatimah Alatishe, explained that PHCUOR was a policy document, introduced by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and approved by the National Council on Health in 2011, to reduce fragmentation of all services under one authority, revealing that the reform was promoted by the Federal Government to integrate PHC structures and programmes at sub-national levels under one state-level body, which is the Primary Health Care Development Agency or Board.
He added that the policy would bring together health workers in all the 20 Local Government Areas of the state and the Primary Health workers, assuring a seamless communication and good working relationship between the workers in the headquarters and the local governments.
The Executive Secretary, who regarded PHC workers as service providers closer to the grassroots, underscored the need for them to be abreast of any reform in the PHC service delivery system, promising that the Board would continue to ensure improved health care services across board.
Contributing, the Director, Health Care System in the Board, Dr. Esther Ogunsilu, while highlighting the pillars of the initiative, said the conceptual framework for implementing the PHCUOR include, Governance and Ownership, Legislation, Minimum Service Package, Repositioning, Systems Development, Operational Guidelines, Human Resources, Office Set-up, Funding Sources and Structure, among others.
Also speaking, his counterpart in the Disease Control and Immunisation, Dr. Thomas Solarin, urged the workers to always make themselves available to patients as and when due and be diligent, in order to achieve a better healthcare delivery to the people.
In his remarks, Chairman Ijebu-Ode Local Government, Mr. Babatunde Emilola-Gazal, who doubled as the Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Ogun State Chapter, described the PHCUOR policy as a welcome development which would give more encompassing health care delivery in all PHCs across the council areas, promising that all Local Government Chairmen would give their support to achieve success.