Enugu Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has taken a bold step towards strengthening healthcare delivery in the state.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Fintan Ekochin, who addressed newsmen after a meeting of the state Executive Council, last week, said the Health Sector Reform Act will bring a lot of positive changes to the health sector and will comprehensively address health-related issues.
Ekochin explained that the new law has components that were integrated for positive results, disclosing that the district health system introduced by the colonial government has been repackaged and replaced, accordingly.
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He added that the district health boards were also affected by the new law.
“We are now going to key into the Ward Health System, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) had recommended and was long adopted by the Federal Government.”
The health commissioner further explained that the law gives the state government authority to oversee healthcare from the hospital management board.
“This hospital management board takes over from health management board that existed before now,” the commissioner said.
He disclosed that a new agency, the Primary Healthcare Development Agency, will be established immediately, “to ensure that the primary healthcare programmes are implemented in Enugu State under one roof, in line with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency’s guideline.’
“This is going to see to further revitalisation of primary healthcare centres at the grassroots, designed to provide adequate healthcare services to rural dwellers,” he added.