The Ondo State Government has urged residents to make greater use of primary healthcare centres, noting that its 203 facilities across the state have been upgraded to improve service delivery.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ondo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Francis Akanbiemu, made the appeal on Monday during a stakeholders’ engagement held in Akure.
The meeting was themed “Strengthening Primary Healthcare Services in Ondo State through Citizens Engagement and Ownership.”
Akanbiemu, who was represented by the Director of Disease Control and Immunisation, Dr Victor Adefesoye, said the engagement was aimed at informing stakeholders about ongoing improvements in primary healthcare centres and gathering feedback for further enhancement.
He explained that the state government had embarked on renovation, reconstruction and introduction of innovations across existing health facilities to improve service delivery.
“We have improved in our various primary healthcare facilities by reconstructing, renovating and bringing innovation, good ones into our existing health care facilities,” he said.
According to him, the facilities have been equipped with essential consumables, medications, diagnostic kits and modern equipment to ensure efficient service delivery.
He added that a real-time reporting system had also been introduced to enable prompt diagnosis and treatment of patients without unnecessary delays.
“Our health care system is optimal and the health of the whole society is sound and robust,” he said.
Akanbiemu urged pregnant women, nursing mothers and other residents to patronise primary healthcare centres, stressing that most services are provided at little or no cost.
He also cautioned against misinformation and resistance to vaccination programmes, insisting that all government health initiatives are designed to improve public well-being.
“These are the things we want us to rub our minds together so that we can know that whatever vaccines we are giving to our children are to further strengthen their health,” he said.
Representative of UNICEF, Mrs Moronke Orhorhamreru, said primary healthcare remains the foundation of any strong and resilient health system, playing a key role in disease prevention and health promotion.
She said the engagement provided an opportunity for stakeholders to reflect and strengthen collaboration between government agencies, health workers and communities.
Orhorhamreru stressed that sustainable improvements in healthcare delivery require active community participation and ownership.
Also speaking, Mr Olamide Ayedun of the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) said the forum would enable citizens to provide feedback on healthcare services and contribute recommendations for improvement.
He reaffirmed CHAI’s commitment to providing technical and financial support to strengthen the health sector in Ondo State.
A representative of the Red Cross, Mr Taiwo Filani, also emphasised that effective healthcare systems require community involvement, adding that health outcomes improve when citizens take ownership of local facilities.
