Ward health committees back to boost services
Over three years after they were inaugurated, health committees at ward and local government levels are receiving a fresh breath of air to boost primary health committees.
This injection is coming from the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board.
At a one-day WHC/WDC members at Ajibulu health centre Oshodi,on the roles and functions of supporting Pimary Health Centre (PHC)in Lagos state, the health educator, Mrs. Aderemi Kazeem explained in details the”Dos and Don’ts” of the WHC/WDC members
towards the PHC.
According to her, they are expected to take care of the PHC,support vaccine istribution,monitor routine immunization process,meet once every month and submit their minutes.
Listing the don’ts she said the members are not to diagnose or distinguish the nature of an illness to any patient,not to give drug prescription,not to give injection to patient and also not to lord it over the doctors and nurses in the PHC.
Aderemi also listed and explained the already made plans of Lagos state to move PHC forward.The plans includes,the supportive supervision and monitoring the health workers,enumeration exercise,house to house immunization and update training of the health
workers.
The goal of Lagos state in 2017 is to improve the health of a day old child up to a year old by immunizing 87% child within this range in Lagos state.According to Aderemi,34% has been immunized,remaining 53% to meet up with the target.
In regard to this target,she enjoined the WDC members to intensify their efforts toward making the proposed target a reality.
The WHC/WDC members were given the opportunity to identify their challenges according to their wards and also to develop action plan to achieve their objectives.
Participants were made to understand that whatever steps taken by the primary health care
board regarding health,have direct bearing on the community and in turn,the happenings of the community has its effect on the PHC.
Both WDC and WHC members were taught their responsibilities towards PHC,as they are the vehicle that conveys health information to the communities at large.
According to the educator, health knowledge multiplies through the health educator to the WHC/WDC down to the communities which are also educated.
According to the health educator, Mrs. Aderemi Kazeem who educated all the 20 wards members of Oshodi,Isolo and Ejigbo WHC/WDC, on their civic responsibilities especially in respect to health issues.
The Federal Government, through the National Primary Health Care Agency had set up health committees drawn from the community in the location of the primary health cenres it was building across the country.
This development was followed by the enactment of a new law by Lagos State which established the ward health committees Better health is central to human happiness and well-being.To achieve this at the grass root level,the establishment of the Ward Development
Committee (WDC) came up from Abuja in Dec.2013 to support the activities of both private and public health centres and Ward Health Committee (WHC)which was also established in 2016 to support Lagos state health centres.
To educate the communities on health issues, Lagos state primary health care board, organized one- day sensitization training of WHC/WDC members at Ajibulu health centre Oshodi
ation Better thealth is central to human happiness and well-being.To achieve this at the grass root level,the establishment of the Ward Development Committee
