The Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PHSAN) has embarked on a national upgrade of primary healthcare centres ineach of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas, in renewed efforts to improve health outcomes and reduce the high rates of maternal and child deaths.
Through the ‘Adopt A Private Health Facility Project’ (ADHFP) billed for official launch in November 10, PHSAN seeks to improve health outcomes for all Nigerians by strengthening the capacity of health facilities at the lowest level.
Tinuola Akinbolagbe, the chief executive Officer of PSHAN, speaking at a briefing identified access and utilization, poor governance, inefficient supply chain, and absence of skilled workforce as part of main challenges confronting Nigeria’s healthcare system.
This is why the ADHFP initiative was conceptualised by Aigboje Aig- Imoukhuede, former group managing director of Access Bank Plc. and PSHAN with the goal of establishing at least one global standard primary healthcare centre in each of the 774 local government areas in Nigeria.
“The diligent implementation of a PHC strategy that seeks to address the healthcare and wellness needs of some societies has seen many countries including Vietnam, Bangladesh, Botswana and Ghana, rapidly overtake Nigeria in healthcare,” she said.
“ADHFP will work to restore public trust in the efficiency and effectiveness of the Nigerian healthcare sector through adoption of one primary health care centre in 774 LGA of Nigeria.”
Akinbolagbe, asssuring that the ADHFP will restore trust in the efficiency of public health system said the Program is expected to directly benefit people through improved access to healthcare, reduction in infant, under-5, and maternal mortality.
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It also aims to curb the burden of diseases of public health interest such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis among others.
The projected impact on the health system especially at the grassroot level, include a strengthened health information system, quality service delivery, increased financing and governance capacity, and human resources for health which enhance human capital development and accelerate national prosperity, she explained.
The CEO lamented that the current state of PHC in Nigeria was appalling with only 20 percent of the 30,000 PHC facilities across Nigeria operational.
Akinbolagbe said: “you can invest in a building; if you don’t look at the human resources; provide money for their salaries, don’t train them, don’t put a governance system in place, don’t put a health financing system in place so that it is sustainable, you don’t put equipment, you don’t have an agreement with the equipment suppliers to service the equipment, it will just be a waste of time.You will rarely come to take photos with the equipment and it would have deteriorated during the time that lapsed”.
PSHAN has raised a total of N9.1 billion for the project as the ADHFP provides a platform for collaboration, communication, and effective change between multiple interested parties.
“We are hoping to accomplish this by working with at least 110 potential adopters – corporate organizations, private foundations, international donor agencies trusts, and individual philanthropists in the first five years,” she said.
Already, all PHCs in Kano state have been adopted, and there are plans to build new ones where it is required. The centre will also redesign in some cases and subsidised services for affordability and availability for all Nigerians.
