The Primary Healthcare System inadequacies in Nigeria have been linked to the country’s ongoing maternal health crisis, which places Nigeria among the three percent of the world’s population that contributes to the worldwide burden of maternal and newborn fatalities.
According to experts, the health sector crisis is being fueled by a number of factors, including insufficient funding, a shortage of medical experts in primary healthcare centers, gaps in healthcare coverage, poorly run centers, and low health coverage rates.
Dr. Salma Anas Ibrahim, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Health, made the comment at a seminar for health journalists on the topic of “Improving access to healthcare: The role of primary healthcare.” She said that redesigned PHCs could prevent the problem of maternal and child death.
She made the point that basic healthcare is closest to the people who need it most, so if it works well, it would strengthen the basis of healthcare provision nationwide and help reach the Sustainable Development Goals aim of universal health coverage by 2030.
The primary health care center, she argued, should be “structured to deliver services that will support the attainment of UHC and guarantee health security” since it is the core of a robust health system.
According to Salma, primary healthcare is the starting point for any society’s healthcare system. She said that 80 percent of people’s health problems should be addressed at this level, and that basic treatment that can save lives should be delivered to the people.
“As a gateway to accessing health services, it should be designed to fit the purpose for proper functioning and operations to be prepared for the needs of the community where it is located,” she said.
It ought to be a center of encouragement and support where everyone who comes, whether they are clients or patients, can find solace and optimism. In order to make the most of the PHC system, ensure its long-term viability, and meet the requirements of the people in terms of their developmental growth, it should be owned and operated by the community.
It would be more convenient to refer patients who need more specialized care to a secondary care institution if the PHC was connected to it.
According to Salma, the country’s health service delivery system is becoming more vulnerable as the number of cases of maternal healthcare-related illnesses and deaths continues to rise.
“In the integrated system that we are advocating for, our goal is to make sure that pregnant women can get the care they need to have a healthy baby as soon as they go to the doctor. This includes paying for the services they receive and making sure that they have health insurance,” she continued.
