The Oyo State Government has revealed plan to launch the State’s Primary Health Care under One Roof initiative.
According to the health commissioner, Dr. Azeez Adeduntan, the project, which will be launched in December, will ensure that one per cent of money from the federation account can also be accessed to boost the state’s health care system. He added, “everything is fund, without it all the plans will be in nullity.”
Adeduntan, who spoke in Ibadan, the state capital, during the inauguration of the committee on State Strategic Health Development Plan (SSHDP), urged members and the the collaborator- Pathfinder International to come up with its health plan to ensure effective and qualitative health care service.
The committee included officials of the state Ministry of Health, professional bodies, private healthcare providers, non governmental organisation, religious groups and experts from tertiary healthcare facilities within the state.
Adeduntan explained that part of their mandate was to also look at how the state government can further have funds for its health operations.
Saying that health was a priority of the government, Adeduntan said the government was adopting different interventions such as the health endowment fund and the Health Insurance Scheme to ensure it meet the health needs in the state.
World Health Organisation representative, Dr Ada Erinnle urged the team to also consider appropriate priorities to ensure better health in Oyo State, adding that planning was important to have a successful outcome.
The project consultant, Mr Timi Owolabi, said the committee was to start with Health sector situational analysis, adding that the developed plan would help consolidate on the gains of the National Strategic Health Plan.
While each state in Nigeria is expected to develop its strategic development health plan based on the needs in the state, he declared that the committees would also attempt to lay out the priorities that the entire nation should strive towards in order to improve the health of the people.
It is expected that the plan would be officially launched and disseminated for increased involvement of all stakeholders in the actualization of the state’s health development plan.