Health
UNICEF urges improved staffing, maintenance of Katsina PHCs
Esha Aliku
The United Nations Children’s Fund on Thursday handed over a renovated Primary Health Care facility to the Katsina State Government, with a call for immediate provision of essential equipment, adequate staffing and maintenance to ensure improved access to quality healthcare services.
The facility which was renovated under the Global Fund implementation support, is the Maternal and Child Health Centre Bakiyawa in Batagarawa Local Government Area.
UNICEF Health Manager, Field Office Kano, Dr Serekeberehan Seyoum, said the intervention was designed to strengthen primary healthcare delivery and improve health outcomes, particularly for women, children and other vulnerable groups.
According to him, the renovated facility would provide better access to essential health services while creating improved working conditions for healthcare workers.
In the words of Seyoum, “This improved facility will contribute to better access to essential health services, enhanced working conditions for health workers, and improved health outcomes for women, children, and other vulnerable populations.
“The handover transferred responsibility for the management, utilisation and maintenance of the facility to the Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency,” he said.
Seyoum urged the state government to ensure that the facility is adequately staffed and supplied with essential medicines and other commodities, while ensuring routine maintenance and prompt commencement of quality service delivery.
“We encourage the state government to ensure adequate staffing, provision of essential supplies, routine maintenance, and the prompt commencement of quality service delivery so that communities can immediately benefit from this investment,” he said.
Responding, the acting Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Shema’u Kabir, said the UNICEF intervention was supporting the state government’s broader efforts to revitalise primary healthcare facilities across the state.
She explained that while UNICEF had supported infrastructure improvement, the state government would be responsible for providing the equipment required to make the facilities fully functional.
“UNICEF has supported the government in improving the infrastructure of the facility, but the state government will provide all the necessary equipment that is required for the takeover of the facility,” Kabir said.
The agency’s acting executive secretary said healthcare workers who had been operating at the facility before the renovation would return to provide services.
“Already there are healthcare workers who were working in the facility before the renovation commenced, they are going to move back to this facility and continue to provide the services,” she said.
However, Kabir stressed that the agency would first assess the equipment needs of the facilities before requesting additional support from the state government.
She explained that the state government was implementing a policy aimed at revitalising at least one primary healthcare facility in every ward, with interventions covering infrastructure, equipment, transportation and human resources for health.
“The government is currently revitalising one facility per ward,” she stated, disclosing that another health facility in Bakiyawa had already benefited from the state government’s comprehensive revitalisation programme, including infrastructure, medical equipment, a tricycle, an ambulance and human resources.
Arewa PUNCH reports that the development highlights the importance of linking infrastructure investment with equipment, health workers, essential supplies and sustainable maintenance to ensure that renovated PHC translates into actual improvements in healthcare delivery.
Kabir commended UNICEF for its continued partnership with the Katsina State Government, particularly in strengthening maternal and child health services.
“We want to appreciate UNICEF for supporting the Katsina State Government in improving maternal and child health services,” she said.
“UNICEF’s support extended beyond infrastructure to strengthening human resources and improving the quality of healthcare services provided to communities.
“UNICEF has been one of the major partners that we have been working with, and we will continue to collaborate to improve maternal and child health interventions and services in Katsina State,” Kabir assured the team.
Our correspondent reports that the handover is expected to strengthen the state’s primary healthcare system and improve community-level access to essential services, particularly for women and children, provided the renovated facilities receive the required equipment, staffing and supplies.
Speaking during the ceremony, some residents, Kabiru Barkiyawa and Rasiyya Ahmed, applauded UNICEF and the Katsina State government for their commitment towards the health of the community.
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