… Says PHC has capacity to address main health problems in communities.
The National President of Kogi State Medical Students’ (KOMSA), Oguche Wisdom Onu, says primary health care delivery has the capacity to address the main health problems in communities if properly harnessed.
The National President of KOMSA made the disclosure while making his welcome remarks at the first maiden National health Symposium organised by Kogi State Medical Students Association (KOMSA) National, held at the Federal University Lokoja, with with the theme: Health Care Delivery System in Nigeria and a sub theme; the role of Primary Health Care.
The KOMSA National President, said the symposium theme: Health Care Delivery System in Nigeria and a sub theme; The role of primary Health Care, says primary health care if well harness has the ability to provide promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services accordingly.
The KOMSA National President explained that the theme of the symposium has become apt in view of the role PHCs Play in the lives of the people, says since primary health reflect and evolve form the economic conditions and social values of the country and its communities, but will vary by country and community.
He disclosed that primary health care include; promoting proper nutrition and adequate supply of safe water, basic sanitation, maternal and child care, including family planning and immunization against the major infectious diseases.
He added that it also include; prevention and control of locally endemic diseases, education concerning preventive health problems and methods of preventing and controlling them as well as the appropriate treatment for common diseases and injuries, reason why the program is built around excellent educational seasons cutting edge lecture delivered by experts in public health towards proffering solutions.
The symposium according to the National President brought together physicians, Students, leaders in the field, seeks to provide platform to learn and share knowledge and views in a creative and engaging setting.
The Vice Chancellor, Federal University Lokoja, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, in goodwill message at the occasion, reiterated his genuine zeal to contribute to the human resources for health by establishing the College of Health Sciences to the eleven year old institution.
The Vice Chancellor described the theme of the symposium as very apt to the nation, particularly that the nation is faced with many issues and challenges in the health sector, called on the various speakers at the symposium to give objective analysis of the situation and proffer implementable solutions to the different problems of the health sector.
The Vice Chancellor said the establishment of the College of Health Sciences in the institution was borne out of the lack of admission slots for indigenes in many public universities in Nigeria inspite of the high scores presented by indigenes of the State.
Prof. Akinwumi said the institution is on course with the admission of the pioneer students into the MBBS programme during the 2021/22 academic session.
The Vice Chancellor added that plans are on to establish other relevant health science professional programmes, listed Medical Laboratory Science, Medical Imaging Sciences, Medical Rehabilitation Programmes amongst several others in the nearest future.
In his remark, Prof. Mike Ogrima, Pioneer Provost, College of Health Sciences, FUL, described the college as a Centre of excellence, promised to tackle quackery in the medical profession by collaborating with the State Commissioner For Health to identify and fish out quacks, to ensure sanity in the system.
The Guest Speaker, Prof. Gbenga Abodunrin, a Professor of Public Health, LAUTECH, Ogbomosho, called on government at all levels to make training and retraining of health personnel, motivation as well as providing enabling environment for them to practiced as measures needed to make primary health care system meet the purpose for which it is intended.
Prof. Gbenga stressed the need to develop health infrastructure,
reduce bureaucracy in primary health institutions as a way of making PHCs functional.
While pointing out that the place of PHCs in the health care delivery system remains very important, called on the Government to equip PHCs with modern equipments, make rural practice encouraging as well as adequate funding of health care delivery systems.
Prof. Gbenga notes with confidence that the Country has very rich proficient health professionals doing well, called on the Federal Government to partner foreign company’s on the need to equip PHCs with the needed infrastructure and medicaments.
He observed that poor political will by the country’s leader, remaining donor dependency and encouraging for medical tourism has affected the establishment and performances of PHCs.
The Guest Speaker urged the students to acquire the needed skills as a way of enhancing performances ad well as competing favourably with there foreign counterparts and also have innovative ideas and for
Alumni Association to always come to the aide of health institutions as way to encourage practice of the medical profession he noted help reposition the PHCs.
In his message at the symposium, Dr. Baoku Shola, Kogi State NMA Chairman, urged the Students to see patriotism and the oath of service delivery drive them as passion to practice the profession