March 23, (THEWILL) – The Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria Network has scaled up its advocacy for some dilapidated health facilities in two Cross River communities.
The health facilities are located in Wanuche Ward in Yala Local Government Area as well as Creek Town, in Odukpani LGA.
The advocacy, according to the network, aims to draw the State Government’s attention to these facilities to work with the network and local communities to put them to proper use.
Pastor Effiong Udobong, State Coordinator of the ATM Network, which has funding from the Global Fund, disclosed this in Calabar, after an advocacy visit to the Permanent Secretary, Cross River State Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Comfort Ekpenyong, as well as Director General of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dec. Abasioffiong Offiong.
Speaking during the visit, Pastor Udobong said these communities cannot handle the issues themselves hence the need to intervene in the area of advocacy.
He said the essence of the advocacy is to ensure that the people of the communities have access to quality healthcare services.
“We paid the advocacy visit because the community lead monitoring team escalated issues of abandoned health facilities in Yala and a dilapidated maternity ward in Creek Town.
“They could not handle these issues at the community level and so, referred us to see how we can resolve the issue to ensure that a new facility is built in that Yala community that has the issue.
“And in Creek Town, we intervened in the facility to ensure that the people access quality services there.
“Primary Health Care Development Agency is the key stakeholder that can help in this regard.
“Most importantly, we have heard from an organisation working there that the community has made some materials available to support the construction of that facility.
“Advocacy is a key strategy to be able to solve issues,” Pastor Udobong said.
In her reaction, Dr. Comfort Ekpenyong, the Permanent Secretary, C’River Health Insurance Agency, said partnering with the network will help in the implementation and monitoring of service delivery.
She said they want to see how to eradicate this major health challenge in the State and the network is like a watchdog in service delivery.
On her part, the Director General of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Deaconess Offiong, said the Government prioritises service delivery at the local level.
She said the Government will intervene in these facilities, particularly the Wanuche Ward Healthcare Centre by helping to facilitate the construction as well as posting staff and equipment to these centres.
THEWILL Correspondent, Aniekan Bassey has over six years experience that spans across several fields in print journalism including development communication, sexual reproductive and health rights issues, crime, climate change, social justice, business and human interest stories.
