BENIN CITY – Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady of Edo State, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani, has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to strengthen primary healthcare delivery in the state.
Mrs. Anani, who spoke during a meeting with officials of the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EDSPHCDA) at Government House, Benin City, described primary healthcare as the cornerstone of community health and the first line of contact with the healthcare system.
She said reducing maternal mortality remains a priority of the Okpebholo administration, stressing the need to provide women with safe pregnancy and childbirth care, while ensuring that children are immunized to build a healthy society.
Mrs. Anani underscored the importance of keeping primary healthcare centres clean, well-maintained and adequately stocked with essential medicines, mosquito nets and other supplies. She also called for continuous training of healthcare workers to deliver quality services with compassion.
Executive Secretary of the EDSPHCDA, Dr. Coulson Osoikhia, highlighted some of the agency’s innovations, including the use of drones to deliver vaccines to hard-to-reach areas within 30 minutes and the establishment of blood banks in selected facilities to reduce mortality rates.
His Personal Assistant, Mr. Nosa Oreye, disclosed that more than 600 healthcare workers had been recruited, with immunization outreaches extended to underserved communities.
He added that the agency had facilitated over 2,000 free deliveries with “MAMA Kits” and was working to renovate facilities, supply equipment and expand healthcare worker training.
Mrs. Anani pledged the support of her office for programmes that benefit women and children, emphasizing that collaboration was key to improving grassroots healthcare delivery.