Condition of Primary Health Care (PHC) Delivery in Oyo State by Dr. Raymond Adegboyega
- By solomon2day
- On 15/08/2022
Note: The provision of health care at PHC level is largely the responsibility of local
governments with the support of state ministries of health and within the overall national
health policy (Nigeria Constitution, 1999).
Quality health is a fundamental right of all citizens. Primary health care (PHC) which is the first
level of contact for individuals, the family, and the community to address the main health
problems in the community, providing health promotion, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative
services are not available in all local governments in Oyo State.
Many people in Oyo State are at risk of falling into poverty due to out-of-pocket health spending
of more of their household budget. Primary health care, which is supposed to be the bedrock of
the state and health care policy is currently catering to a small number of potential patients. While
most PHC facilities are in various states of disrepair, with equipment and infrastructure being
either absent or obsolete, the referral system is almost non-existent. The reason is that the
primary health care system has deteriorated to an unacceptable level coupled with ineffective
management in Oyo State.
For universal health coverage (UHC) to be truly universal in Oyo State, a shift is needed from
health systems designed around diseases and institutions to health systems designed for people,
with people. PHC requires governments to underscore the importance of action beyond the
health sector in order to pursue a whole-of-government approach to health, including health-in-
all-policies, a strong focus on equity, and interventions that encompass the entire life course. The
health services, based on PHC, include, among other things, education concerning prevailing
health problems and the methods of preventing and controlling them, promotion of food supply
and proper nutrition, equipment and child care, including family planning and immunization against the
major infectious diseases, prevention and control of locally endemic and epidemic diseases and
provision of essential drugs and supplies. All these features are entirely absent in the context of
the Oyo State Primary Health Care Delivery.
One of the major hindrances to the development of PHC is the insufficient number of medical
personnel as well as their uneven distribution. The solution to this perennial health problem is to
scale up PHC interventions among target groups across the state in order to save many lives and
increase average life expectancy.
In conclusion, there is nothing to show for the huge amount of public funds wasted on the project.
Dr. Adegboyega is the Governorship candidate of the National Rescue Movement(NRM) in Oyo state
