Lagos State Health District IV Brainstorms With Stakeholders To Improve Primary Health Centre Services

 

 

The Lagos State Health District IV advocated for continuous stakeholder engagement to improve the patronage of Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities under its jurisdiction and to resolve some of the challenges affecting service delivery.

The community engagement meeting, held with Local Government Health Authority (LGHA) members and World Health Committee (WHC) officials, took place at the Apapa Local Government Area Secretariat, Lagos.

Speaking at the meeting, Permanent Secretary of Lagos State Health District IV, Dr. Abimbola Bowale, stated that dialogue with the LGHA and WHC plays a key role in ensuring that PHCs serve their communities effectively.

Dr. Bowale emphasized that PHCs were established to serve the public, hence the need for continuous stakeholder engagement.

 

He noted, “It is important to have this kind of meeting to enable communities to benefit from the health services available to them. The LGHA is a key component in the management of PHCs, and the LGHA and WHC members are closest to the communities to ensure that PHCs actually serve their needs. Therefore, it is very important to engage them to make PHCs more useful.”

Apparently, he commended the Lagos State Government under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for its prompt approval to replace health workers, especially resigned medical doctors, saying that this staff replacement has positively impacted employment in the sector.

Dr. Bowale also highlighted the challenge posed by the daily influx of people into Lagos, noting that there is no record of their health status, particularly regarding immunization.

On her part, Dr. Titilayo Oni, Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics for Lagos State Health District IV, expressed satisfaction with the large turnout of stakeholders at the meeting.

Oni, who also serves as the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) in charge of Surulere Local Government, stated that community representatives presented their observations, underscoring the need to strategize and improve service delivery.

She expressed concern over the low turnout of community members at PHCs under Health District IV but added that the meeting was an eye-opener to encourage greater patronage.

Similarly, Dr. Oludolapo Shotunde, Director of Medical Services and Disease Control, Lagos Health District IV, called on members from various local government health authorities to emphasize Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for improved service delivery.

She noted that philanthropists from organizations domiciled in the communities have the capacity to support the district through CSR initiatives to enhance health services at PHCs.

Meanwhile , a cross-section of stakeholders from Apapa, Iganmu, Surulere, Lagos Mainland, and Lagos Island took turns to provide detailed reports on the challenges faced in their respective communities.