The need for critical Stakeholders to show more commitment to effective and efficient Primary Healthcare Service delivery for citizens in the South East region, was the focus of a one- day capacity building workshop organized by the Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn for the South East region.


The workshop which took place at Abakiliki, Ebonyi State, drew participants from government Agencies, the legislature, the Media as well as Non-Governmental Organizations.


In an opening remark, the Regional Partnership Facilitator from Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn, Mrs. Judith Emma-Ugwoke said Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn as a Department of International Development sponsored development body, is presently focusing on what critical Stakeholders are doing on Primary Healthcare delivery service in the South East region so as to compare the status with what is universally acceptable.


She pointed out that Primary Health Care Centres can actually cover majority of individual’s health needs throughout one’s life time and called on all citizens to key into the health insurance scheme now available in all the States.


Presenting a lecture on Basic health provision fund and decentralization policy on health insurance, the Zonal Director, National Primary Healthcare Department Agency, South East zone, Dr Eric Nwaze, harped on the need for the implementation of the National Primary Healthcare delivery, the composition of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, the constituents of a typical primary healthcare centre, what the state governments need to do to access the available funds and how primary healthcare under one roof can reposition the Primary Health Care Centres.


Also in a lecture the South East zonal Coordinator for Health Insurance, Chinasa Agwunobi, explained that it is as a result of the weak and dysfunctional current health system in Nigeria that led to the poor utilization of the Primary Health Care Centres in Nigeria.


Other contributors include the Coordinator, Health Policy Plus, Dr Ibiam Azu who presented a lecture on Health Policy Plus intervention in Ebonyi and Abia States, while the current health indices and the status of healthcare centres in South East states were presented by an independent researcher, Dr Cosmas Ohaka.


Participants at the workshop also presented their group work on primary healthcare status and the way forward in the South East states among other activities.