Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday said his administration has concluded plans to immediately embark on massive transformation of the 294 Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) across the state to international best standard with gadgets and edifice.
Governor Ambode, who stated this during the commissioning of two new PHCs rehabilitated and improved upon by the Executive Secretary of Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Alhaja Fausat Hassan Olajokun, said he was embarking on the project in order to facilitate access to quality health care delivery, especially in the grassroots.
The Governor, who was represented at the event by his Special Adviser on Primary Health Care, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga, also unravelled his plans to give a facelift to the dilapidated schools across the state between now and the next six months, so as to bring about conducive atmosphere for learning.
Speaking at the event, Onanuga said: “Lagos State has a lot of PHCs on ground.
There are 294 PHCs in the state and some are disused; some are going dilapidated; some are functioning and the Governor even brought up the issue at the State Executive Council Meeting yesterday and the emphasis of the Governor now is on social service i.e health delivery system, education and social welfare in terms of empowerment and employment of the people.
“If you look at all our schools, they are in serious state of disrepair and the Governor wants to focus the next six months on education by making our schools to be of international standard; all our primary health care centres, he wants to make them to be of international standard and also social welfare in terms of empowerment of the people and employment of the people.
“If you remember last week, the Governor launched and inaugurated the Employment Trust Fund with N6.25b out of the N25bn for the next four years, and you know there is a Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment and there is an agency of government that is called office of Civic Engagement. All these are geared towards government of inclusion especially in the grassroots,” he said.
He commended Olajokun for a job well done, saying that the level of work done at the Health Centres were highly commendable and in sync with the programmes of the state government.
On her part, Olajokun said her motivation to embark on the project was borne out of the need to ensure the people of the area live disease-free life, and to have increased access to qualitative health care delivery.
She urged Governor Ambode to upgrade the newly commissioned health care centre to General Hospital, staff the centre for uptimal service delivery and at the same time get them equipped to international standard.
The Ojokoro LCDA boss also pleaded with the Governor to help staff the health centres with experienced and seasoned medical personnel, saying the essence of any facility is to be adequately staffed so as to meet the objectives of its establishment.
Also speaking, member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency II, Rasheed Makinde said he was at the commissioning as a mark of acceptance and appreciation of the efforts put together by the LCDA which culminated in the revamping of the health centres.
He pledged the willingness of the legislature to always cooperate with the executive in the best interest of the people.