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The Kwara Government has begun the distribution of basic medical equipment and commodities procured by the Saving One Million Lives Programme for Result (SOMNL-R) to over 150 selected primary healthcare centres in the state.
The items included medical equipment like solar direct drive refrigerators, essential drugs, delivery kits, HIV test kits and medical commodities, worth millions of naira.
While distributing the equipment on Thursday in Ilorin, Alhaji Usman Rifun-Kolo, Commissioner for Health, Kwara, explained that the SOMNL-R is a Federal and State Government programme.
According to him, the programme is aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality through structured and measurable indicators.
He said it is designed to improve and increase the quality and quantity of reproductive health, child health and nutrition interventions.
“The programme is monitored and evaluated through household and facility survey; the survey and data gathered has shown improvement in the expected indicators since the commencement of the programme in 2016.
“In order not to rest on oars and to also ensure continuity of health care services, especially through the primary healthcare system, the programme deemed it fit to make available basic equipment.
“This is expected to ensure that healthcare workers are provided with needed amenities to work within our primary health facilities.
“It is worthy to note that the programme will not stop at that.
“We will engage in capacity building of human resources in these PHCs in order to ensure that our healthcare workers deliver health services commensurate with international best practices,’’ he said.
The commissioner also said that Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara has approved implementation of the “Primary Health Care Under One Roof’’ to ensure that PHCs deliver quality health services.
He said the measure would help put all the PHCs under one authority and prepare them to benefit from the basic health care provision fund.
Also speaking, the State’s Project Manager of the SOMNL-R, Dr Ibrahim Hassan said the programme, essentially meant for children under the ages of five, is a change from old ways of monitoring and evaluating health activities whereby data are used to guide decisions.
