Date: 2021-06-02

Kwara State government has celebrated achievements in the primary healthcare system, just as it flagged off local immunization day against infant and maternal diseases.

The flag off, held at Alanamu Primary Health Care Centre, Ilorin, was also used to commemorate the second anniversary in office of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for his achievements in the health care system in the state. The governor, who spoke through his deputy, Mr Kayode Alabi, at the event said that the government is working towards bringing healthcare services to the grassroots and ensuring that every Kwarans get access to quality healthcare services.

"We all know that health is wealth. To have a wealthy population requires making the population healthy. Health and wealth are inseparable. A functional and efficient primary health care system will give room for efficiency and value for money at the other levels of health systems," he said.

Also speaking, the executive secretary of Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Nusirat Elelu, said that the agency also organised a weeklong routine immunisation and other lifesaving interventions in eight suboptimal LGAs (Ilorin East, Ilorin West, Offa, Kaiama, Oke-Ero, Moro, Baruteen and Ifelodun) for children below age five and women of childbearing age.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Raji Rasaq, who commended the state government on efforts made so far on healthcare delivery, appreciated partnering organizations like WHO, AFENET, DH HMB, E.S Health Insurance and Epigram Launched YT for supporting the state government in achieving success in primary health care in the state.

He said that importance of immunization as part of deliverables of democratic governance and in the building of a healthy community cannot be over-emphasized, adding that quality primary health care protects against childhood diseases. "We promised during the COVID-19 pandemic that primary health centres will be renovated and today we are already doing it. I implore the contractor handling the ongoing renovation work to sustain the high-quality job that is expected of his company," he said.