Cross River State government has expressed it’s readiness to establish the primary Health Care Development Agency before the end of second quarter of 2016.
The Agency when established by an act from the state parliament will be responsible to cater for the primary and community health care delivery to the very poor communities and hard-to -reach villages in Cross River State.
Special Adviser to Governor Ben Ayade on community and primary health care, Dr Betta Edu stated this when she led a team of the department of community and Primary health care to visit the Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Ado Muhammed in his Abuja Office.
Dr Edu who solicited Federal Government’s support for strengthening Primary Health Care in Cross River State,said the establishment of the Agency in Cross River State will enable the people of the state enjoy more financial support and better health care delivery .
She commended the federal government for the support so far given to Cross River State on rural health care, saying Cross Riverians stand to benefit more if the agency is created.
“I wish to inform you of the readiness of Cross River State Government led by Prof. Ben Ayade to establish the State Primary Health Care Development Agency to better the lots of our hard-to reach- rural communities and indeed all who use the primary health care services in the state.
“However, we can’t do it alone because of the geographical size of Cross River State and the standard we are looking at, that must fit international best practices as well as the Cross River State standard ,so will need your partnership and support to realise this laudable dream.
“As I’m talking to you,the governor is ready to send the bill as an executive generated bill to the Cross River State house of Assembly and my coming to you as an adviser to the governor on community and primary health care was to seek for guidance, support and partnership”she said
Responding, the Executive Director and Executive Officers of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, led by the E.D. Dr Ado Muhammed assured Cross River State government of the readiness of federal government to partner the state to create the CRS Primary health care development Agency which he said was long overdue.
He disclosed that, 32 states out of the 36 states of the federation and FCT had established their own state primary Health Care Development Agencies already ,explaining that It is mandatory for each state of the federation to establish a state Primary Health Care Agency in line with the provisions of the new National Health Act.
He expressed the hope that Cross River would join the league of such states without further delay.
“Federal Government has planned to make 10,000 Primary Health Care centers functional and 5,000 would be done between between 2016 and 2017. I hope that Cross River State will be among the first state to benefit from the first five thousand,” he said.
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