2 Years In Office: The Giant Strides Of AbdulRazaq In The Primary Healthcare Space In Kwara State

Since the inception of this present administration, Kwara has witnessed myriads of development ranging from high impacts infrastructural development to human capital development all pointing to the visionary efforts of his Excellency, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, the Executive Governor of Kwara State. Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KWPHCDA), the agency charged with the responsibility of providing health succour to our young citizens and equipping them with internationally acknowledged vaccinations that will boost their immune level is one of the Agencies that has similarly experienced giant strides in the current administration.

Two years into this present administration, the team at the agency under the leadership of Dr (Mrs) Nusirat Elelu has worked towards achieving the vision of His Excellency within the heath sector by leaving no stone unturned in ensuring optimal healthcare services at the grassroot.

His Excellency set up and funded the the State Emergency Routine Immunization Coordinating Centre (SERICC). This significantly improved immunization coverage as evidenced by 6 LGA passing the Lots Quality Assurance Survey (LOTs) Quality Assurance Survey conducted by the National Primary Healthcare as against Zero (0) LGAs in the previous years. The funds made available by His Excellency made possible for this excellent performance thereby outperforming the past administrations in the State put together in that regard.

Also, His Excellency has continued to pay in a timely manner counterparts fund for polio immunization campaign which hitherto birthed the sustenance of the polio free status of Kwara State amidst the comity of States in the federation.

Furthermore, the integrated medical outreach program (I-MOP) is another landmark outreach embarked upon by the Agency. The I-MOP is a national health outreach program, which is taking place in 12 of the 16 local government areas in the state. The outreach is aimed at strengthening Routine Immunization in the Kwara state, and the program is being run under State Emergency Routine Immunization Coordination Centre (SERICC) recently set up by His Excellency, the dynamic Governor of Kwara State. The program which has enjoyed counterpart funding from Kwara State Government under the leadership of His Excellency, Gov Abdulrasaq, has been successfully held twice in 2020 and 4 additional LGAs were supported in the second round by the State. The last round will take place this year. Thousands of vulnerable children and pregnant women received free medical intervention including treatment of minor ailments, antenatal care, and many more. The wide reach covered is unprecedented and the impact is visible in host communities. Supervisors were also posted to each ward to ascertain coverage and quality of services

The icing on the cake is the newly approved recruitment of 198 healthcare workers from different health cadres for primary health care agency. This included 50 nurses, 40 Chews, 50 JChews, 3 Pharmacists and 16 Pharmacy technicians and 25 Health Attendants. This is an unprecedented achievement as this is the first ever recruitment since the establishment of the Agency in Kwara State. The recruitment will this provide employment opportunities foe our youths and also quality staff at our PHCs across the State.

Since assumption of office, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, the dynamic Governor of Kwara State, he is committed to the plight of our vulnerables and their concerns is paramount in his heart, this is evident in his prompt approval of revitalization Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) across the State to improve the health system at the primary level. So far, over 20 PHCs are at various stages of renovation and if completed will go in long way in improving the health care delivery packages.

Interestingly, The agency met and surpassed the target to reach 6,700 pregnant women in the launched a nutritional supplementation program aimed at accelerating nutrition result in the State. The program is currently being implemented across 89 primary health care Centres in the State. It's aimed at providing amongst other benefits: free maternal infants and young child nutrition counseling, free iron, folic acid supplementation,  intermittent prophylaxis treatment for malaria for additional 22,500 women. This free initiative funded jointly by the state and World bank has a wide coverage and it enjoy maximum success across the state 

Conclusively, to further attest to the readiness and quality human capital available at the Kwara State Health Care Development Agency (KWPHCDA), Kwara State was adjudged the best in country in the rollout of Covid19 vaccinations. This was achieved as a result of the preparedness and level of support enjoyed by  commitment of the Agency from the present Administration. The Kwara team was also ranked the best in term of Covid vaccine coverage during the National Sports Festival held in Edo earlier in the year.

Under His Excellency, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, Kwara State Primary Health Care is receiving the needed attention and no stone is left unturned to ensure maximum service delivery by the Executive Secretary. 

Executive Secretary, Dr Nusirat Elelu and the entire management and staffs of Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency wish His Excellency many more years in office in order to take the State to next level of dynamism and development; while assuring him of our total support.

Long live Kwara State!

Long live Nigeria!!

Dr Nusirat Elelu

Executive secretary, Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency