The Bauchi State Government has received 256 Solar powered desktop android phones worth more than 39 million naira from Integrated Health Programme funded by the United States Agency for International Development that will be distributed to the primary health care centers in the state.
Presenting the items, State Technical Director USAID-IHP, Dr Ibrahim Kabo told the gathering that in order to complement the effort of the State Government in provision of alternative and effective referral system between primary to secondary health facilities as well as between patients in the communities and health facilities there must be a link communication.
According him, Bauchi State has done a lot in terms of reviewing policies and guidelines for referral system strengthening as well as capacity building of Frontline health care providers, data tools provisions and now institutionalizing referrals with support from USAID-IHP.
IHP State Technical Director further revealed that the handing over of 256 desktop android phones by IHP which are solar powered, are expected strictly to be utilized in the identified 256 health care facilities in the state so as to ensure effective two ways referral system communication which will ultimately reduce the incidence of maternal morbidly and mortality in our communities.
Dr Kabo also stated that the solar powered phones are made specifically to aid facility management how to transfer cases from the lower level facility to another and this would reduce the sufferings of patients experienced during referrals, in terms taking them to the next hospital or health facility, and that will prevent fatalities and clients extent morbidity.
Receiving the items on behalf of Bauchi State Government, Executive Chairman Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency Dr Rilwanu Mohammed said the presence of Integrated Health Programme IHP has significantly changed the narrative of health system strengthening where the state witnessed multiple interventions.
Dr Mohammed also pointed out, the 5 year project implementation by the USAID-IHP in service delivery a lot was done and achieved in spite of apparent challenges in state health indices, because quite number of care health workers were trained in different categories using low dose high frequency methodology.
Though the project has come to an end, but the interventions are evidently reflective in service delivery, training of staff and health care providers both in primary and secondary health facilities using on-the-job method, providing working equipment and drugs are some of the important milestones that they State benefited strongly by the project,. Executive Chairman explained.
According to him, in the 2023 PHC annual operational plan, IHP spent almost 1.2 billion naira in Bauchi State health sector, saying that apart from UNICEF, perhaps, rarely, no state in Nigeria was able to get such kinds of opportunity having huge amounts of money this year. UNICEF and USAID have been doing a lot of interventions to improve maternal newborn and child health support program.
Dr Mohammed then appreciates the numerous supports extended to the state while on the safety, utilization and maintenance of the equipment, he promised that would ensure everything given to them be safeguarded and pray for renewal of the intervention for the benefits of citizens especially women and children.
CREDIT:
Ibrahim SANI,
Information Officer
PHCDA Bauchi State
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