The Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Health Services, Mr Segun Olulade, on Wednesday urged council administrators in the state to prioritise funding of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs).
Olulade made the appeal when he led other members of the committee on an oversight visit to PHCs on Lagos Island Local Government Area.
” A primary healthcare centre is the first point of call for patients when there are health issues. We cannot run it anyhow.
“Council administrators must give it attention. We are talking about lives of the people, so the issue of running PHCs should be number one priority of local governments.
“It should be in the cardinal agenda of councils to make necessary facilities and drugs available,’’ he said.
The chairman said that local governments should complement the efforts of the state government in funding PHCs.
“We want healthcare delivery prioritised to save the lives of our people,” the lawmaker said.
Olulade urged health workers to be efficient, and gave the assurance that the state government would engage more hands to improve healthcare services.
The lawmaker commended Oba Rilwanu Akiolu of Lagos, non-governmental organisations, corporate organisations and public-spirited individuals for efforts to improve healthcare services in the council area.
According to him, Akiolu and some others have been donating free drugs and providing some facilities in PHCs.
He said that the state government was committed to improving public health institutions and making the state a medical tourism centre.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee also visited Sura and Iga Idunganran Flagship PHCs in the council area. (NAN)
AYO/IGO