Take ownership of govt infrastructure in your community, ACOMIN tells Anambra residents

By Uzo Ugwunze

Members of various communities in Anambra State have been advised to take ownership of government infrastructure in their domain with a view to delivering quality primary healthcare services in the area.

This was the focus of the meeting of 15 civil society organization working in five local government areas in the state under the auspices of Association of Civil Society, Malaria, Immunization and Nutrition ACOMIN), Anambra state chapter in response to Covid 19 Response Mechanism and Resillient and Sustainable System for Health (RSSH) Project being funded by Global Fund.

Addressing the gathering yesterday in Awka, the Executive Director, Shoulder for Gender Support and Development Initiative and the State Coordinator of ACOMIN, Mrs Chioma Okeke identified insecurity, lack of power supply, water, delapidated buildings, unhygienic toilets, deart of primary health centre infrastructures, unfriendly medical personnel and limited drugs as challenges militating against primary healthcare delivey in many communities in Anambra state.

According to her, this was community members are not accessing the primary healthcare services while many community members are not aware of the basic health Trust Fund given by government to assist the primary healthcare centres and NACA drug provision given to HIV/AIDS patients of various communities.

She noted that already the CLM Team comprising two people from the community like Ward Development Committee Chairman (WDC), a woman leader and a programme officer of the CBO are working in every community to liaise with president general and critical stakeholders of the community with a view to summounting the above challenges so encountered.

On his part, the State Program Officer for Covid 19 Response Mechanism Wisdom Jacobs said the gathering is trying to strengthen the primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in Anambra communities by calling on the members of the community to maintain and take ownership of PHC in their domain.

He advised the ACOMIN team to carry community members along while maintaining a cordial relationship between their activities, facility staff and the community.

The team of 15 CSOs are currently working on five Anambra council areas like Aguata, Awka South, Anambra East, Dunukofia and Nnewi South.