Ondo Govt., World Bank To Revamp Primary Healthcare System With N13 Billion

Mr Phillip added that the state government had concluded recruitment of medical officers and nurses, adding that other medical personnel would follow.

The Ondo State government and World Bank say N13.5 billion will be invested in infrastructure, personnel and provision of drugs to patients to revamp the state’s primary healthcare system.

The initiative is tagged “Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT PROJECT)”.

Pius Omode, the project manager of IMPACT Project, stated this on Tuesday in Akure during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting.

According to Mr Omode, the project will end this year because implementation will take approximately one and a half years.

“So far, within the one and half years, we have spent N1.5 billion across the malaria component and the immunisation plus components.

“For 2025, we are planning to spend up to N12 billion for the two components, that is for malaria activities and immunisation plus activities.

“One hundred and two primary health facilities have been awarded for upgrading, and there will be procurement of drugs to patients in all primary healthcare facilities,” he said.

Francis Akanbiemu, the permanent secretary of Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, commended Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for paying attention to the primary healthcare facilities.

Mr Akanbiemu added that the IMPACT Project had come to provide many interventions to change the indices from negative to positive in the primary healthcare system.

“The renovation of primary health facilities has begun in the first phase, and the project has introduced digitalisation processes in the system,” he said.

Bayo Phillip, state Head of Service (HoS), who declared the stakeholders’ meeting open, said the project was in line with the state government’s blueprint.

Mr Phillip added that the state government had concluded recruitment of medical officers and nurses, adding that other medical personnel would follow.

He urged the traditional birth attendants to always refer pregnant women with difficult cases to the government-owned health facilities to reduce child and maternal mortality in the state.