16 Councils Build And Fix 56 Health Centres In 2 Years

By Rasaq Adebayo

Sixteen councils have built or rehabilitated   56 PHCs since July 2022.

A survey by Echonews revealed that some of the PHCs were upgraded to the status of General Hospital, providing 24-hour service with the provision of ambulances.

Others were expanded to provide additional services and accommodate new departments.

For instance, the newly renovated Iga Iduganran Primary Healthcare Centre in Lagos Island LGA comprises different sections such as Laboratory,  Emergency Room, Maternity Ward, Delivery Room, Antenatal, Postnatal Section, Eye Clinic, Dental Clinic, Tuberculosis Section, Pharmacy, and others.

The PHC was renovated by Rebuild Lagos and Zenith Bank in conjunction with Lagos Island Local Government.

The Local Government under the chairmanship of Hon. Tijani Olusi also rehabilitated Olowogbowo and Oba Adeyinka PHCs while embarking on the development of other infrastructures.

In Apapa Local Government, the Chairman, Hon. Idowu Senbanjo rehabilitated three Primary Health Centres which are Nanti Health Centre, Oluwole Health Centre, and Ijora-Oloye Health Centre.

In Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Iwa PHC, Isokan PHC, Ajegunle Ilo PHC, Kola PHC, and Abule Titun PHC were all renovated by the Hon. Hammer Tijani-led administration in his second term starting from 2021. According to information from the council, the renovation of several PHCs and reconstruction of Isokan PHC took place in the previous years and continued till the present year. In the last two years, the council has been equipping the facilities as it upgraded Kola PHC to a 24-hour service health centre.

“We are also on the verge of digitalising all the PHCs and we are starting with a pilot at Kola PHC. We kept equipping all our PHCs and one of the PHCs (Kola) is on the verge of being converted into a digital service for better service.”

Olorungbebe Health Centre is 90% ready in Alimosho Local Government.

It was gathered that the Local Government built one new health centre within the last two years; others were previously constructed or renovated in the previous regime though by the same Chairman, Hon. Sulaimon Jelili.

The newly built health facility is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Primary Healthcare Centre, Akowonjo, while Ipinlerere and Orisunmibare PHCs were fully renovated to give health services to the residents.

Orile Agege LCDA is not lagging in this sector has it built two new PHCs which are Claudianna Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu Primary Health Care Centre, and Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa Primary Health Care Centre (Completed but yet to be commissioned).

The council under the current administration of Hon. Johnson Babatunde has also renovated Powerline Primary Healthcare Centre, Cardinal Odumbaku Primary Healthcare Centre, and Shoretire Primary Healthcare Centre, making five PHCs running in the council area.

Though Amuwo Odofin LG did not renovate in this political dispensation, it built Senator Oluremi Tinubu Primary Healthcare Centre two years ago.

In his two years in office, the chairman of Surulere Local Government has not rehabilitated any health centre because the last administration already did so instead, the chairman renovated the council secretariat and built a new legislative complex, the Chief Press Secretary, Tunmise Sanyaolu told ECHONEWS.

“Ours are in good shape but we just purchased land for another PHC. We’ve also purchased a brand-new Ambulance vehicle too,” the Chief Press Secretary to the chairman of Ifelodun LCDA, Kamaldeen AbdulSalam said, adding that Oridilu, Layeni, and Amukoko PHCs have been upgraded.

For the people of Ibeju-Lekki LG, six PHCs which include Ibeju-Agbe PHC, Aiyeteju PHC, Solu-Alade PHC, Arapagi PHC, Orimedu PHC, and Bogije PHC have been reconstructed and renovated by their council chairman, Hon. Susan Olowa to cater for their health issues.

Isolo LCDA chairman, Hon. Adebayo Olasoju has also renovated three Primary Healthcare Centre in the last two years of his first term in office. They include Akinbaye PHC, Alagbeji PHC, and Ilasamaja PHC.

There was no record of any renovation of the health facility in Epe, but the council chairman, Hon. Surah Animashaun reportedly facilitated the reconstruction of the Primary Health Centre at Papa Epe by the Nigerian Army.

She also made provision of bedpans and wheelchairs to Epe health centre and Epe General Hospital, purchased two functioning ambulances for the health centre, made payment of hospital bills to the tune of N1 million a month for the General Hospital, Epe, and also sponsored one-year free medical treatment for 100 aged people under the NHIS programme.

After the construction of a Staff Clinic at Airways PHC, the health facility has become functional in Itire Ikate LCDA, Ejire, Anjorin, and Baruwa PHCs are under renovation as the council as some of the PHCs have been rehabilitated and upgraded to operate 24 hours daily.

Hon. Monsurudeen Oloyede (Obe) of Ejigbo LCDA is also two years into the four-year tenure of his first term. Within half of his tenure, he has completed the construction of Morning Star PHC at Aigbaka Ward, the reconstruction and renaming of Moshalashi PHC to Jaiye Alabi PHC, the rehabilitation of Bucknor PHC as well as renovation of Iyana Ejigbo PHC. Plans to rebuild the  Ona Iwamimo PHC are underway.

In Ojodu LCDA under the administration of Hon. Olusegun Odunmbaku, the council has renovated Oke-Ira Central PHC, and Ogba PHC in partnership with Rotary Club of Eko Atlantic.

Oriade LCDA under the administration of Hon. Ramotalai Akinlola-Hassan is also set to witness a revolution in its primary health sector with the two ongoing works at Ibeshe, a riverine community – Ibeshe PHC is currently undergoing rehabilitation while it is also collaborating with the Federal Government to build a new PHC.

The local councils are keying into Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s healthcare scheme which was one of the major successes recorded by his administration in his first term.

In his second term, the governor in his T.H.E.M.E.S agenda plans to take healthcare to the next level.

The Governor has urged stakeholders in the State health insurance value chain and the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) to domesticate the National Health Insurance Authority Act of the May 2022, NHIA Act, and ensure compliance with the provision of the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS) law.

Sanwo-Olu, who was referring to the Health Management Organisations, HMOs, Health Care Providers, Corporate Organisations, Health Insurance Coverage Providers, policymakers, and employers of labour and employees, urged them to support, partner, and cooperate with LASHMA.

Speaking at the maiden Lagos State Health Insurance Summit, he said the support of all stakeholders will help enable the State Government to guarantee essential healthcare services to citizens thereby improving their quality of life.

“At the inception of this administration, we have been committed to improving the quality of life of our people and steer the State towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), where Lagosians will have access to the health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship.

“These services include a full range of essential health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care. This is one of the major goals of the health and environment pillar of the T.H.M.E.S+ agenda, with the ‘plus’ representing the incorporation of an intensified focus on social inclusion, gender equality, and youth development in these next four years”,  he said.

Sanwo-Olu stated that the NHIA Act makes it mandatory for all residents of Lagos to possess a health plan to have access to quality healthcare services thereby reducing out-of-pocket expenses on health and ameliorating the financial hardship caused by payment of huge medical bills.

Recently, the governor extended his free health insurance to the vulnerable in Ijede LCDA as part of the effort to ensure Universal Health Coverage (UHC), equity, and access to quality healthcare irrespective of the residents’ socio-economic status.

Emmanuella Zamba, General Manager, Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), at the flag-off of EKO Social Health Alliance (EKOSHA) Community Storm organized by the Agency, at Ijede LCDA, commended the governor for his continuous support, especially in providing special funds for the actualisation of free health insurance coverage for the vulnerable in the State through EKOSHA in accordance with the provisions of the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS) Law.

She explained that EKOSHA is an initiative designed by the agency to provide a sustainable structure for the implementation of ILERA EKO free health plans for the vulnerable and indigent in the State.

The General Manager said that the provision of free health insurance coverage for the needy through EKOSHA is an integral part of the agency’s strategies to attain Universal Health Coverage in the State.

According to her, the provision aligns with the new National Health Insurance Act (NHIA) which makes health insurance mandatory in Nigeria.

She pledged that EKOSHA will be at the forefront of championing the inclusiveness of the vulnerable and preventing the re-enfranchising of residents at the grassroots in accessing quality and affordable healthcare.

Zamba pledged that EKOSHA will collaborate with all the grassroots structures through the local government areas and local council development areas to ensure its presence in the communities.

She said 30 EKOSHA field officers who will liaise with the community structures to identify vulnerable residents within the communities and facilitate their onboarding process using the Equity Fund from the Lagos State Government and the Basic Healthcare Provision Funds (BHCPF) from the Federal Government, have been engaged.

The General Manager said that EKOSHA is also at the forefront of partnering with the private sector for resource mobilisation and economic empowerment of the vulnerable to take them to a higher economic class.

She added that 1,000 Point of Sales (POS) systems would be distributed to the vulnerable in Ijede LCDA courtesy of First City Monument Bank to make the vulnerable financially independent and uplift their economic status.

Responding, the Chairman of Ijede LCDA, Motunrayo Gbadebo-Alogba, who spoke through her Vice, Abdulaziz Kabir, commended Governor Sanwo-Olu, and the LASHMA GM for the flag-off of EKOSHA Community Storm at Ijede LCDA.

She said that there is no doubt that the programme will benefit the vulnerable and also improve the healthy living of the people within the community.

The Chairman urged those enrolled to utilise the opportunity and immediately visit the hospital whenever they need to.