The Kwara State Government says it has revitalised 100 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across all 16 Local Government Areas.
The Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Prof. Nusirat Elelu, disclosed this on Thursday in Ilorin at a Citizen Engagement town hall meeting organised for PHC leadership and community stakeholders.
Elelu explained that the project was designed to make every PHC “fit for purpose” as the first point of contact in the state’s health system. She said the overall objective is to bring quality healthcare closer to communities across the 16 LGAs.
She noted that healthcare facilities abandoned for years have now been renovated and equipped with adequate health workers. Elelu added that over 1,000 health workers, including doctors, nurses, and midwives, were recently recruited to staff the revamped centres.
The town hall meeting brought together representatives from various institutions, including traditional and religious leaders, market women, mothers, caregivers, and people living with disabilities.
Elelu commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s “visionary leadership and sustained investment” in the health sector. She appealed to communities to take ownership of the facilities and use them judiciously.
She pointed out that the renovated PHCs aim to reduce maternal and child mortality and ensure no community is left behind in accessing primary healthcare.
Also speaking, the Director of Primary Healthcare System in the agency, Dr Michael Oguntoye, described the PHCs as the first point of contact for communities to access healthcare. He said the massive revitalisation project was a significant achievement made possible through collaboration with development partners.
Oguntoye explained that the facilities now have essential infrastructure, including electricity and water supply. He appealed to stakeholders to sensitise residents on the need to utilise the centres, noting that the government has done its part in providing quality healthcare.
In his goodwill message, the UNICEF representative in the state, Dr Usman Danlami, commended the state government’s commitment to quality healthcare. He said Kwara remains a priority beneficiary of UNICEF’s interventions, which have expanded access to healthcare across the state.
Danlami pledged UNICEF’s continued support to ensure improved and timely health service delivery, with no community left behind.
