Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, has said that the release of N260 billion by President Bola Tinubu for the revitalisation of Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) across the Country is timely and commendable, especially at this period of cholera outbreak.
Oyintiloye, who said this while speaking with newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo, said with the recent outbreak of cholera and acute diarrhoea infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium”Vibrio cholerae” in Lagos and other parts of the Country, primary health care centres had been receiving and providing care for most of those the affected persons.
According to him, the first level of contact of individuals, families and communities is PHCs, lamenting however that many of them in the Country cannot provide essential health care services due to challenges such as inadequate equipment, poor condition of service and infrastructure, lack of staffing and essential drugs, among others
The APC chieftain, however, appealed to State governors not to divert the money, but they should rather use it wisely to equip the PHCs in their States in the interest of the masses that would use the facility.
He said with the recent report that the death toll from the Cholera outbreak had risen to 40, PHCs which are always the first port of call for people, especially the rural dwellers, seeking Medicare, such an important care provider, should be strengthened.
Read also: Cholera: Children facing substantial health risks – UNICEF
Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, recalled that Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, had on May 24 said N260 billion had been earmarked for the revitalisation of PHCs across the Country.
The APC chieftain, who said that Muhammad Pate stated this Abuja at the Ministerial Press Briefing to mark the first Anniversary of the President in Office, noted that the Minister also said the N260 billion was “sitting right now at the States’ level”.
He said the disclosure by the Minister at the Briefing that plans were underway to expand the PHCs from 8,300 to 17,000 through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and make them functional to deliver essential services, was also commendable.
Meanwhile, Adekunle Akindele, Special Adviser to the Osun State Governor on Health Matters, has said Osun State is yet to record any confirmed case of cholera, describing the report of 11 confirmed cases of Cholera in the State as inaccurate.
Akindele, in a statement issued and made available to newsmen on Sunday, clarified that contrary to the claim in the report, Osun recorded 13 suspected cases of cholera but all turned out negative upon a laboratory assessment.
He assured the people of the State of adequate preventive measures by the Government to prevent the occurrence and respond to the outbreak whenever a case is recorded.
“Osun State Government through the Ministry of Health, has proactively reactivated and established the Public Health Rapid Response Team (PHRRT) and Cholera Technical Working Group (CTWG) respectively, to ensure adequate surveillance and risk communication activities to guarantee the health of the citizens.
“Though Osun is yet to record any confirmed case of Cholera, adequate preventive measures have been put in place to prevent the occurrence, and respond to the outbreak in case we eventually record a case”, he said.
