Business and Economy
$22b Needed to Revitalize PHC in Abuja – FCTA
By Lateef Taiwo
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has disclosed that it needed close to 22 billion dollars to covers the funding gab of Primary Health Care (PHC) in the territory.
It hinges this on the realization that health facilities which are hitherto targeted to serve 1.5 to 2 million people are now been over stretched to serve over 6 million Abuja residents.
It also disclosed that out of this required amount, United State Agency for International Development (USAID) has supported with 14bn.
Dr. Abubakar Tafida, the Secretary, FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat gave this hint at a press briefing to herald the new funding system of PHC in the nation’s capital.
To this end, he said the Health and Human Service Secretariat (HHSS) in collaboration with international partners has come up with a system where philanthropists and spirited individuals can help to revitalize PHC through their moral support.
According to him: It is not that FCTA is not doing their best, they have revitalized about 83 of the Primary Health Care , we have 154 functional PHC in FCT with at least 83 in minimum operations. They procured $ 2. 4 m drugs and consumables were provided to us. There has been a lot of intervention in FCT, there has been the Basic Healthcare Province Fund component.This means one ward one PHC and we have 62 wards in the six Area Councils
“We are currently developing new structures in Primary Health Care centers all in an effort to ensure that services provided are standard.
We are soliciting support from various organizations and international partners and individuals to come and look at the status of the PHC and revitalize them, we are not asking for money.You can choose one, or ten and support it. We want to drill a borehole so that there can be water for women and children use.
“But the truth is that there has been so much investment in the health sector especially on the FCT as recent as providing drugs and consumables, $4 million, going forward we need to look at the status of this primary health centers. Asking someone to provide a website where anybody who is interested in watching can go through the plight in the primary health center and decided to provide manpower support, provide anything that will improve the quality of care in that facility.
“On behalf of the less privileged people in the FCT. The privileged citizens can look at the state of the system not necessarily within the city and decide which of the PHCs they can choose and be involved in a number of a commitment to our support.
“There has been the basic health care provision component that has been introduced by the federal government. We have the Primary Health Care aspect, we have health insurance aspects, and we have the emergency medical services aspect, both of them are working”, he said.
