Cholera outbreak: Tinubu’s N260b intervention on PHCs timely — Oyintiloye

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has said that the release of N260 billion by President Bola Tinubu for the revitalization of Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) across the country is timely during the current cholera outbreak.

Oyintiloye made this statement while speaking with journalists on Sunday in Osogbo.

He noted that with the recent outbreak of cholera, an acute diarrheal 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 have been receiving and providing care for most of those affected.

According to him, the first level of contact for individuals, families and communities is PHCs. However, he lamented that many of these centres in the country lack the capacity to provide essential health care services due to challenges such as inadequate equipment, poor conditions of service and infrastructure, lack of staffing and essential drugs, among others.

The APC chieftain appealed to state governors not to divert the funds but to use them wisely to equip the PHCs in their states in the interest of the masses who rely on these facilities.

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He mentioned that with the recent report that the death toll from the cholera outbreak has risen to 40, PHCs, which are always the first port of call for people, especially rural dwellers seeking medical care, should be strengthened.

Oyintiloye recalled that the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, had on May 24 said N260 billion had been earmarked for the revitalization of PHCs across the country.

The APC chieftain, citing Pate’s disclosure in Abuja at the sectoral ministerial press briefing marking the first anniversary of the President in office, noted that the minister also said the N260 billion is “sitting right now at the states’ level.”

He said the minister’s announcement that plans were underway to expand the PHCs from 8,300 to 17,000 through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and make them functional to deliver essential services was also commendable.

Oyintiloye expressed concern that if the funds, which are already at the state level, are not monitored, they could be diverted, and the PHCs might not have the needed capacity to tackle the cholera outbreak and other diseases in the country.

He urged the president to ensure that strict measures are put in place for the effective utilization of the money.

“I commend the President for prioritizing the health of Nigerians with the release of N260 billion to revitalize the dilapidated PHCs in the country. My only fear now is how this fund will not be diverted by the governors at this critical period of cholera outbreak. The PHCs in the country are currently at their worst level, and that is why the fund released for their revitalization must not be allowed to be mismanaged. Since all the states of the federation have been mobilized for the revitalization of the PHCs, governors should not allow greed to prevent them from doing the right thing.”

Oyintiloye posited that for Nigeria to improve its poor health indices, there is a need to prioritize and improve PHC facilities in the country to withstand sudden outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and others.

Calling on Nigerians to cultivate habits of cleanliness, he urged governments to start creating awareness, educating people on hand washing with soap and water, and discouraging open defecation, among other practices.