By Kemi Olatunde

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The Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (OSPHCDA), Dr Francis Akanbiemu, has again reiterated the commitment of the Agency at strengthening the Primary Health Care System in the State.

The Permanent Secretary was speaking at the Monthly Integrated OSPHCDA Management and Local Government Primary Health Care (PHC) Coordinators meeting held in Akure.

Akanbiemu who said the PHC system is the gateway to achieving universal health coverage anywhere in the world because of its proximity to grassroots, commended the hard work of the PHC Coordinators which according to him has earned the Agency and the State several awards noting currently, Ondo State is in a leading position among the comity of states in Nigeria.

He urged the PHC Coordinators not to relent in their efforts at ensuring that the State maintains it’s leading position in subsequent years noting that getting to the top is easier than maintaining the position.

The Permanent Secretary further charged them to step up their supervision of  facilities in their respective Local government areas with the aim of providing technical supports and advice to health personnel at the health facilities.

Also speaking, the Director Medical Services, Dr Paulinus Omode, commended the Medical Officers of Health at the Local Government Areas (LGA) for taking the PHC system to an enviable height.

Omode said the Permanent Secretary has approved categories of awards for three (3) best performing LGAs and PHC facilities in the State which according to him will ensure healthy competition and motivation for them to do better.

Similarly, the Director of Medical Laboratory Services, Dr (Pastor) Isreal Adeyemi, who made a presentation on the laboratories’ performances at the Local government level, appreciated the Permanent Secretary  for his ingenuity which has brought about positive changes and unprecedented improvement to the Laboratory services in the PHCs

In his own speech, The PHC Coordinator of Akure South Local government who is also the Chairman Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) Ondo State Chapter, Dr Adeyemi-Osowe, thanked the Permanent Secretary for his good administrative and leadership qualities

The meeting afforded the PHC Coordinators opportunity to x-ray the  various challenges at their respective LGAs and appropriate solutions for improved services delivery.