Reps Committee Commends Cross River’s Healthcare Transformation Drive
By Ebi COLLINS
The House of Representatives Committee on Health Care Services has applauded the Cross River State Government for its determined efforts in revitalizing the state’s primary healthcare system, describing the progress as “a model of intergovernmental collaboration and consistency in healthcare reform.”
The Committee, through its Chairman, Hon. Amos Magaji, gave the commendation during a recent inspection tour of ongoing healthcare revitalization projects across the state, implemented under the Immunization Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) Project, and the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
Speaking with journalists after the visit, the lawmaker commended Governor Bassey Otu’s administration for prioritizing affordable and accessible healthcare delivery, noting that Cross River’s efforts are in line with Nigeria’s drive toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.
“We have inspected several primary healthcare facilities and seen clear evidence of progress. Cross River is on the right path in strengthening its health system. If the present momentum is sustained, every political ward will soon have a functional primary healthcare centre,” Hon. Magaji stated.
He explained that the Committee’s oversight mission was to evaluate the deployment of funds under the BHCPF and to identify challenges impeding service delivery.
“Some of the issues identified, such as manpower shortages and the peculiar difficulties of reaching remote communities, are common across the country. We will work with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and other stakeholders to review and strengthen existing policies,” he assured.
The lawmaker further pledged that challenges requiring federal intervention would be addressed at the National Assembly level, while state-level concerns would be communicated to the Cross River Government for prompt action.
“If this administration maintains its current tempo, Cross River will soon become a model for other states in delivering grassroots healthcare and achieving universal coverage,” he remarked.
In his response, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Ayuk, commended Hon. Magaji and his team for the visit, describing it as both “timely and encouraging.”
“What you see on ground today is the outcome of effective partnerships between the Cross River State Government, the Federal Government, the World Bank, and other development partners,” Dr. Ayuk said.
“In less than two years of this administration, we have witnessed remarkable transformation in our primary healthcare system, both in infrastructure and in administration.”
He highlighted the establishment of the Drug Management Agency as one of the administration’s structural reforms aimed at stabilizing vaccine and medicine supply chains, ensuring consistent availability of essential drugs across the state.
The Director General of the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu, revealed that more than 100 primary healthcare facilities have been renovated across the state through a mix of funding streams, including the IMPACT Project, BHCPF, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and direct state government interventions.
“When we assumed office, we met many dilapidated facilities. Today, over 100 have been renovated and revitalized,” Dr. Otu noted. “We also now have at least two skilled birth attendants deployed to each of the 196 political wards across the state, a major stride toward improving maternal and child health outcomes.”
She expressed gratitude to international partners such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the Red Cross, and the Global Fund, among others, for their technical and financial support toward the state’s ongoing health reforms.
The Project Manager of the IMPACT initiative, Dr. Paul Odey, explained that the program seeks to upgrade facilities from Level 1 to Level 2, thereby transforming them into fully equipped service centres capable of handling a wide range of health needs.
“A Level 2 facility should have consulting rooms, delivery suites, wards for men and women, a functional laboratory, a pharmacy, family planning unit, perimeter fencing, security, and constant power and water supply,” Dr. Odey stated.
“The IMPACT Project is bridging human resource gaps, strengthening systems, and improving service delivery for mothers and children under five.”
Among the visiting team members were Cross River’s Hon. Bassey Akiba of Odukpani/Calabar Municipality Federal Constituency and his Akamkpa/Biase counterpart, Hon. Emil Inyang.
