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HEALTH : ONDO HOLDS HEALTH INVESTMENT PLANNING MEETING, SOURCES 23.9 BILLION NAIRA FOR MSP...Receives family equipment Worth millions of naira



The Ondo state government has continued in her efforts at repositioning her health sector towards achieving the Minimum Service Package which is one of the nine pillars of Primary Healthcare Under One Roof and a prerequisite for assessing the Federal Government's Basic Healthcare Provision Fund,


In a release by the press offOffi of the ministry, Abooluwa Famakinwa said Ond health stakeholders have met to plan and look for sources of generating the sum of 23.9 billion Naira to fund the Minimum Service Package in four years.


Speaking at the investment planning meeting held in Akure, the Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr Wahab Adegbenro  welcomed Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of line Ministries and Parastatals in the state, said the meeting is to further strengthen inter sectoral collaboration which is necessary to achieve the Minimum Service Package.


 Adegbenro opined that   Primary Healthcare caters for between 70-80% of the  disease burden of any population thus its a very important aspect of the Health Sector that has to be adequately funded and developed.



He added that the draft document on the MSP which had been put together and costed by experts is a four year funding plan that is brought before top level policy makers, government and non government actors to comprehensively and realistically plan the funding and look for investment windows for it.



The Health Commissioner urged stakeholders to contribute actively to the discussion on investment opportunities for Primary Healthcare as there is a global emphasis on fortifying the Primary Healthcare so as to reach the majority in rural communities. He Hearped on the need to look outside government funding as it is over burdened and resources are dwindling.

The Executive Secretary of the Ondo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Francis Akanbiemu in his welcome address said the planning and costing of the MSP started two months ago in the state and it was really a tough and tedious exercise.



 Akanbiemu said the last lap is the  investment planning meeting and for all that was done to make meaning, there has to be resource mobilisation to drive the programme.



The Executive Secretary added that the Ondo document on MSP will be a benchmark for Primary Healthcare in the state, so its success or otherwise will determine how far the State will go in terms of fortifying Primary Healthcare which is a major trend globally.



Also contributing on the policy, Mr Sina Adelakun of the  Technical Support Unit of the National Primary Healthcare Agency who revealed that the National Primary Healthcare Act 2013 actually prescribed the Minimum Service Package, congratulated the state for being the first in the country to start from sensitisation to the reality of achieving the MSP. Adding that  the State will be used as a Guinea Pig from which other states will learn, while suggesting Public Private Partnership as the way to get funds for its actualisation.


In his remark, the State Head of Service, Barr. Toyin Akinkuotu said Health financing is a global issue as the whole of the state budget cannot adequately fund healthcare so the most realistic source of funding is Contributory Health Scheme which is about to start in the state.


Mr Akinkuotu urged stakeholders to do everything possible to ensure the scheme succeeds as no government can successfully do it  alone.


There were remarks from agencies in the state like the World Health Organisation (WHO), Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC), women affairs ministry supporting the importance of the policy on health.



In a similar development, towards enhancing Family Planning activities and improving the contraceptive prevalence in the state, a Development Partner, Marie Stopes International has donated Family Planning Equipments worth millions of Naira to the  Ondo State Government.


The Country Director Marie Stopes International, Mr Effiom Effiom said reducing maternal mortality, preventing unwanted pregnancies and children, proper planning of families are the driving forces that propeled activities of the organisation.


The South /South Regional Manager, Mrs Mary Ogholi who represented the Country Director and did the handing over ,said the equipments will help the State enhance Family Planning Activities, increase coverage and improve better contraceptive prevalence rate of the State.



The Executive Secretary of the  Ondo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Francis Akanbiemu who was represented by the Director Medical Services, Dr Olugbenga  Fabusiwa who received the equipments on behalf of the State .

Dr Fabusiwa promised judicious use of the  equipments which he said will be taken to health facilities in rural communities in the State.

The State Family Planning and Reproductive Health Officer, Mrs Rosemary Adegbulugbe thanked the Development Partner on behalf of the State Government and promised the equipments will be used judiciously.

Like Oliver Twist, Mrs Adegbulu asked for more of such largesse for the State, especially in the area of capacity building.

Items donated to the government and handed over to fifty-two rural facilities across the state are: 33 Manual Autoclaves, 57 Implant Insertion Kits,  57 Intra Uterine Contraceptive Device ( IUCD) Kits,  53 Cheatle Forceps, 53 Cheatle Forcep Holders, 53 Crocodile Forceps and  23 Site Markers.

Other Officers that accompanied the  Regional Manager are : The State Clinical Training Officer, Mrs Abiola Amusan and  Mr Israel Adedotun,  the State Community Mobilisation Assistant.


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