The Lagos State Government has stepped up its monitoring of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the state while the riot act has been read to staff who show nonchalant attitude to duty. The monitoring is part of government’s move to reposition the PHCs, make them functional and accessible to grassroots people in order to decongest the secondary healthcare facilities. Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Healthcare, Dr. Femi Onanuga paid unscheduled visit to PHCs in Epe to understudy their workings, shortcomings and find ways to salvage situations in them.

PHCs visited include Epe, Mojoda, Afuye, Eredo, Odomola, among others. Onanuga, who frowned at some unwholesome activities in some of the PHCs, such as staff not reporting for work on time, bushy environment, among others, said government embarked on paying unscheduled visits to PHCs across the state since January, 2016 and that over 90 PHCs of the 276 PHCs and health posts had been visited. He said government expressed satisfaction with the level of progress at the PHCs but assured that the gaps identified would be fixed. Onanuga stated that the essence of the monitoring “is to see what we have on ground, the governor has passion for health of the people. We want to monitor the PHCs and see what we have on ground and ensure that the staff are working. “We don’t want to see a situation where we say we have six staff in a particular PHC, only two are coming to work, this is not acceptable.” The special adviser said after the PHCs had been monitored, government would carry out an evaluation and then fix the shortcomings identified in them. According to him, the essence “is that if we have the PHCs working properly, the pressure on the secondary health facilities would be reduced.”

He warned that government would not hesitate to sanction health workers who showed nonchalant attitude to duty through late coming and absenteeism from work. Onanuga urged the staff to report to work at all time and be punctual, warning that government would not hesitate to sanction recalcitrant workers bent on tarnishing the image of the state government. “They should realize that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is one of the few governors in the country paying salaries as at when due. They should come to work and do their work because there are no jobs outside there, they must therefore cooperate with and support the governor. Anyone who does not come to work will be sanctioned,” warned. On his part, the Executive Secretary, Epe Local Government, Ahmed Seriki said the council was doing much to support the State Government in repositioning the PHCs in the area. He said two PHCs were currently running 24-hour service and that the council was about upgrading the Afuye PHC to provide 24-hour service.