The Edo State Government has entered into an agreement with PharmAccess Foundation, a non-profit organisation based in the Netherlands, to strengthen the health system towards better quality care for Edo residents.
Obehi Akoria, the state commissioner for health, at the signing of the partnership, in Benin City, said PharmAccess, as a technical assistance partner, will work with the ministry of health and health agencies to strengthen the healthcare regulatory system, and institutionalise quality improvement systems.
She disclosed that there are over 7,000 health facilities in the 192 wards of Edo State, adding that the collaboration will ensure technology is deployed to monitor these facilities, as well as providers of healthcare services across the state.
Akoria said, “The bedrock of this collaboration is regulation as the Edo State ministry of health is focused on ensuring that Edo people get the best healthcare.
“Pharm Access is collaborating with the state government to use technology to bridge the gap in the sector. First, we will leverage technology to locate and monitor all the providers of healthcare services across the state. Technology will be used to give the coordinates of where the patent medicine stores are, community pharmacists, as well as private and public hospitals.
“We have been doing these in an analogue mode but Pharm Access wants to help us use technology to do it, rightly working with Edo-GIS. They will do mapping, using their experience to help us keep a minimum standard for our healthcare system in the state.
“This will help us set a minimum standard acceptable for our healthcare practitioners in Edo State going by global standards for what will happen in our healthcare facilities.”
Read also: Edo to strengthen healthcare regulation
She added, “Edo State is very eager to begin this process, so residents can be assured of healthcare service provision by qualified and certified providers. This is the first of its kind in the state and with extensive capacity-building to transfer skills and sustain improvements; Edo State will undoubtedly be able to stand on its own in years to come.”
“Quality in healthcare covers six pillars including effectiveness, efficiency, timeliness, patient-centeredness, equity and safety, and every Edo citizen is entitled to have quality healthcare services. The collaboration today will help us achieve these,” the health commissioner noted.
The country director of Pharm Access, said, “We are here to help Edo State develop its healthcare system so that when citizens walk into any healthcare facility, there will be guarantee that they will get the best health treatment using the right standard.
“We are here to help strengthen their healthcare system and improve the quality of the healthcare sector, ensuring it’s sustainable and self-regulatory.
“Our aim is to build capacity through the use of technology as we support progressive countries in Africa. We work with them to build a system that will work with their local environment.”
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