The government of Cross River State has made known that only a meager 196 out of the 1,045 Primary Health Centres scattered throughout the state are currently in operation.
This announcement was made by Dr Egbe Ayuk, the Commissioner for Health, during a press briefing in Calabar on Tuesday. The briefing was held in commemoration of the 2024 World Health Day, which has the theme of ‘My health, my right’.
Dr Ayuk also mentioned that the celebration had to be postponed due to the public holidays declared for Eid-el-Fitr by the Federal Government.
Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that the number of operational healthcare centres would see a significant boost, reaching a total of 450 within the next two years. The commissioner also acknowledged that the state has been grappling with the dilemma of ensuring that PHCs are fully functional.
He mentioned “Today we have 1045 primary healthcare facilities but the structural ones that are functional are about 196.
“We expect that within the next two years, we will upgrade it to 450 and bring the total number of functional facilities to 600.”
Ayuk stated that the state planned to utilize the National Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, which provided support to states in addressing their healthcare requirements.
“We take advantage of what they have on the ground and also access funds from the World Bank,” he restated.
The commissioner highlighted that one of the existing challenges in the healthcare sector pertains to a shortage of personnel.
He mentioned that when the current administration took office, the state had less than eight pharmacists on its workforce, but this number has since been increased twofold under the government’s tenure.
Furthermore, the Commissioner noted that presently, only 30 doctors are in full-time positions in the state, with a few others serving on temporary contracts.
Additionally, it was revealed that the state has outlined five fundamental pillars for the advancement of its healthcare sector.
These include the establishment of a robust Primary Health Care (PHC) framework, the implementation of a subsidized healthcare financing mechanism for underprivileged individuals, the establishment of a comprehensive health insurance scheme, the promotion of fairness in the allocation of health resources, and the guarantee of high-quality service delivery.
