Anambra: 16 CBOs brainstorm on quality healthcare delivery to communities

COVID-19: GHANA Midwife Rebecca Kpabitey Maame checks the blood pressure of Maame Kesewa Akuamah, who delivered her baby Ishod at Ridge Hospital in June, and is now bringing him for a postnatal visit. During the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO is supporting the Ghana Health Service in their efforts to continue providing essential medical services to the population. At the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, vaccinations continue to be offered along with other critical services for children, and care is provided to mothers before, during and after pregnancy.

PHIL OKOSE, Onitsha

No fewer than 16 Community-Based Organisations, CBOs, under the auspices of the Civil Society for Malaria Control, Immunisation, and Nutrition (ACOMIN), in Anambra state, weekend converged at Hilton Leisure hotel, near Onitsha, and brainstormed on promoting better healthcare services to residents in the state especially as it affects the optimal function of Primary health care services in the state.

The State Coordinator, Mrs Chioma Okeke, while briefing the gathering said that the monthly meeting was to give stock of the progress made in ensuring that residents, especially those in rural areas have access to quality health care in line with the set objectives of the project C19 Response mechanism (RM)/ Resilient and Sustainable System for Health (RSSH).

According to her, findings from five local governments In Anambra state, namely Aguata, Awka South, Anambra East, Dunukofia and Nnewi South, showed that the state’s capacity to deliver quality primary health care was being impeded by a number of challenges.

Some of the challenges affecting the discharge of standard primary health care services according to her include, “lack of power supply, water, medical personnel and drugs, absence of Covid and HIV guidance and counselling department, dirty environment, insecurity, exploitation of patients, attitudinal problems, and dilapidated infrastructure, among others.”

She however noted that the essence of the meeting was to find solutions to the challenges of PHCs and sought for cooperation of members of the community even as she assured them of the state government’s support and intervention in cases beyond their capacity.

Also speaking, Mrs Chaimaka Ogwuejiofor, who represented the Programs Director of the Tuberculosis unit of the Anambra State Ministry of Her, appreciated the findings of the CBOs and reiterated the State Government’s commitment to cooperate and partner with ACOMIN to ensure that basic and essential health care is affordable and accessible to residents in every nook and corner of the state.

The State Program Officer of the project, Wisdom Jacob, said the participants were also trained on information-gathering techniques for the purpose of identifying challenges in the PHCs and also the challenges community members face when accessing health services.

ACOMIN Anambra state Civil Society for Malaria Control Immunisation and Nutrition