From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

The Media engagement for United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), Global Alliance For Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI) Bayelsa state government on joint interventions for children was on Wednesday continued with  the tour to Zarama and Yenegwe Primary Health Care Center in Yenagoa local government area of the state.

The monitoring was part of the activities to witness and see the renovation and upgraded health care center facilities across the state.

Speaking during the day two tours Dr. Egbe Abe UNICEF Health Specialist Port Harcourt Field Office said, they have been operating the UNICEF, GAVI and BAYELSA state government MOU on PHC for about two years now, saying this is the third year for health system strengthening in Bayelsa state.

According to him, what they have done is to support the state government to renovate and upgrade ten Health Facilities in the state. Adding that, the idea is to make health accessible for the people by bringing health infrastructural facilities so that when the people come they can access healthcares.

“We want to see how we can bring health care to our mothers, our children and every other person’s in the communities, we want to see our children come for immunization, we want to see our children been delivered in the hospital, that is why the programme has also increase skills in birth attendant rate by training more health extension workers.”

“The idea is to bring bayelsa state government,WHO, SOLINA Consortium, MRITE, Corona Management Services, NPHCDA to what the GAVI MOU has succeeded in doing in bayelsa state that we are speaking with one voice that GAVI programme is to ensure health system friendly”.

“Another thing is that we want to advise the people of the communities to make use of the facilities and own it. Because the more they own the facilities the more they will be able to access the facilities”.

Speaking on behalf of the communities, Rev. Cannon Banigo Samuel, Deputy Paramount Ruler of Epie Zarama and HRH. Peniel Zegbe the paramount ruler of Yenegwe thanked team for face lifting the health facilities which was not in this form before, but now it has been renovated and upgraded

According to them, the facilities has been fenced, painted and expanded, it has been transformed to a better one, “it’s good they have done it and we are very happy .It has increased the number of women and children who come for health care in this facilities, there is a drastic change in numbers.”

Giving the overall view of the exercise, the Executive Secretary of Bayelsa Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Williams Appah said, they have visited all the facilities, the one at Otuoke and Elebele in Ogbia local government area and another one in Yenagoa local government area in Zarama and Yenegwe communities.

“The facilities have been renovated by GAVI, UNICEF, under GAVI MOU with the Primary Health Care in the state and I must say it was a fantastic activities because from the observation, there have been improvement in all the facilities.”

“And with the new improvement, we will have more women and children accessing the health care system in all the facilities, it will also give functionality, increase humanity and health care development in Bayelsa state.”

“The ten renovated and upgraded health care center are scattered across the state, you have them in Angiama in Southern Ijaw local government, one in Angalabiri and Ogobiri in Sagbama, Egbebiri around Biseni and Akaibiri in Yenagoa local government area, we one in Kaiama in Kolokuma/Opokuma local government and they have been all put to use with solar to provide 24hours lights

“The government has also approved the employment of healthcare workers in the Primary Health Care services and the approval is for over two thousand persons, the processes are ongoing.”

Then we must understand that this GAVI HSS MOU has engaged GAVI supported workers of over eight hundred that are working. Then the call again is for health care workers to go to work, you are the health security personnel the community has.”