By Lanre Adesanya
The Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Health Services has disclosed that healthcare services most patients seek at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and General Hospitals are readily available at Primary Health Centres (PHCs).
The Chairman of the Committee, Segun Olulade made this remark when he led other members of the committee on oversights to PHCs in Ikeja Local Government.
Olulade, who took time to interview patients across different sections of the public health facility, urged the patients not waste their time visiting LASUTH or General Hospitals on service obtainable at PHCs.
“What many patients look for in secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities can be received at PHCs that is closer to them.
“We need to strength our referral system. There is so much crowd at our General Hospitals and this is not justifying huge investments we have made to transform our PHCs.
“Patients even have access to 24 hours healthcare services all week days in some of our PHCs. People should go there. We built these health facility with tax payers’ money, people should use them.”
The lawmaker called on the Sole Administrators of all the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas to do more on sensitisation of the public on services available at PHCs.
According to him, council administrators should liase with leadership of the Community Development Association (CDAs) and Community Development Committee (CDCs) in their respective councils in sensitisation.
Olulade said: “We have not done enough sensitisation on services available at our Primary Healthcare Centre..We need to go into the town and tell the people. Let’s create massive awareness.
“Our people must use the PHCs because they are now upgraded with modern equipment.”
Olulade said that some of the services obtainable at PHCs now included: Anti-Natal Clinic, Laboratory, Family Planning, Labour and Delivery, Eye Clinic, Cancer Screening, Dental Clinic, Pharmacy, General Medical Care among others.
He also urged council administrators to always make available necessary disposables needed at the PHCs, adding that the state government was committed to provision of quality healthcare services.
Olulade who said that government alone could not do the work, said government had commenced the process of engaging more personnel to enhance effective and efficient services.
The lawmaker, who warned all the health officers to shun all tendencies to engage in any unprofessional conducts, urged them to safeguard themselves against infections.
He urged the PHCs to ensure proper waste collection and management by providing container for domestic waste and medical waste.
The committee, which commenced an on-the-spot assessment of Primary Healthcare Centres across the state on Feb.3 had visited hospitals and PHCs at Agege, Orile-Agege Ifako-Ijaiye council areas.
The committee on Wednesday also inspected facilities across PHCs in Ikeja Local Government Area.