In an effort to improve primary healthcare services in the state, the Bauchi state government is to collaborate with Civil Society Organizations.
The Deputy Chairman of the Health Committee of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Hon Saleh Umar revealed this on Monday when he received members of a delegation of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC who paid him an advocacy visit at the State House of Assembly complex in Bauchi.
He stated that the present administration was focusing on primary healthcare in its attempt to provide quality health services to all citizens of the state, particularly women and children.
Umar added that since the inception of the state assembly, a lot of bills on health matters had come on the floor of the house, adding that there was never any delay in assenting these health bills.
He said, “since the inception of this house to date, lawmakers have engaged in several activities pertaining to health in the state.In the area of maternal health, for instance, lawmakers have contributed their quota by distributing delivery kits to pregnant women at primary healthcare centres across the state and supplying drugs such as zinc and malaria tablets.”
According to him, “The house has also ensured the speedy passage of health bills and the prompt/timely releases of funds budgetted for healthcare services.”
Umar disclosed that the assembly has passed into law a bill it received from the executive, requesting the autonomy of the state specialist hospital due to the poor health services at the hospital.
A member of the delegation, the Technical Consultant of Child and Health, Abuja, Dr Mohammed Saleh, in his address, said that the organization was in the state to key into existing structures of the state by working with the executive and legislature to engage the government on key challenges that affect family and child health as well as breaching the gap between healthcare providers.
The technical Consultant noted that funding support for logistics activities in family planning was a challenge in most states of the federation.
He called on the state assembly to exercise oversight legislative function that will improve the health sector in the state.
