To improve primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in Cross River State, the AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria Network (ATM Network) has called for stronger community involvement and a sense of ownership in local healthcare services.
Agbor Solomon, the Deputy Coordinator for Tuberculosis at the ATM Network, said that community support is very important to keep PHCs running well. He made this statement during a press briefing in Calabar, where he spoke about the network’s activities in the state.
He said local people should get involved by helping their health centres. This can include volunteering, donating items, or speaking up to get more support and funding for PHCs.
Solomon noted that while the government is trying to improve PHCs, the results will be much better if communities also play a role. He shared that there are about 1,041 PHCs in the state, and the government is currently working on fixing 94 of them. This makes community support even more important.
He added that the ATM Network has been meeting with some communities through group discussions. These meetings help them talk about problems in their health centres and find long-term solutions together.
Pastor Effiong Udobong, the State Coordinator of the Civil Society in Malaria Control, Immunization and Nutrition (ACOMIN), shared some success stories from their work in the state.
He mentioned the Akim PHC, which didn’t have an Outpatient Department (OPD). With help from the community, they were able to rebuild an old abandoned building at the centre to serve as the new OPD.
He also explained how community members helped clean up PHC Calabar South, which had become overgrown with grass and difficult to access. Their efforts made the facility usable again.
