Rivers State Government has attained 100 percent routine immunisation coverage as declared by the World Health Organisation, WHO, through its revitalisation its primary healthcare system. The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Parker Tamunoiyoriari Sampson, in a chat with CHIOMA OBINNA shortly after  receiving an outstanding Government Healthcare Programme of the Year award at the just concluded Nigerian Health Care Award, NHEA, in Lagos speaks on the priority areas that resulted in the reduction of unnecessary deaths of children and women in the state. Excerpts…

“Our priority to rebuild dilapidated health facilities across the state and equipping them with the right medical equipment and staffing has improved the state’s immunisation coverage.  A lot of things are happening in the state which I would want other states to emulate. And key to that and most important is the PHC which we have been able to build in the state.”

“Today assessment by WHO has shown that we have achieved 100 percent routine immunisation. And 100 percent routine immunisation means that parents on their own are willingly bringing their children to the primary healthcare centres which we have built 120 functional health centres with doctors and nurses in all the health centres.”

Tamunoiyoriari Samson who stressed the need for other states across the country to refocus their attention to the primary health system explained that with 100 percent routine immunisation, the women and children are no longer dying as they were dying in the past.

He added that the provision of healthcare centres in communities have returned women, children and their husbands back to the PHCs.  “Our efforts have improved the number of attendants in the various facilities.  That means we have a better healthcare delivery in rivers state because the women and children are no longer dying like before.”

The State commissioner explained that before now, many of the people were dying for lack of access to health facilities, particularly in the hard to reach areas of the state. Many of the people were visiting herbalist, traditional healers. Many were dying of malaria while many of the women were dying of obstructed labours and other pregnancy related complications.

“With the 100 percent immunisation coverage, mortality from malaria has reduced. We acquired rapid diagnostic test kits for all government owned hospitals and health centres to fast tract the detection and treatment of malaria. We have been able to control malaria and we are moving to the elimination of malaria.”

“It now means that people know about malaria and also treated about malaria.  People are being tested early for HIV/AIDS and those found are recruited for free treatment.  It is something we can replicate in other states of the country because 70 percent of our problems could end at the primary healthcare level.

Speaking on the private participation in healthcare, he stressed the need to promote private partnership in the health sector just as it was done in the communication industry as it would save the country reasonable foreign exchange.  “We have initiated private public partnership and that is a programme we should promote in the country.

There is need for private participation in healthcare. Government has no business in healthcare.  Hospital business is a big international business; it is a major foreign exchange earner of countries like India, Cuba and South Africa. So you cannot say that it is just a welfare thing.  Just like we have success in the communication industry, we can also have success in the healthcare Sector.  We are trying to promote private participation in health and the success we have achieved in the pilot project shows that it can work.”