From Akunwa Nwaokedi
Civil Rights Concern(CRC) on Tuesday held an audit forum to discuss the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund support to Anambra State Primary Health Centers (PHCs).
The meeting which held at King David Hotel Awka saw forty five persons in attendance.
Speaking at the occasion, the Executive Director(ED) of Civil Rights Concern(CRC) Mr Okey Onyeka said that the forum was put together to ensure that everyone in the communities have access to information about the funding for Primary Health Centers.
He stressed the need for community members to be prepared to monitor and support primary health centers funds which he noted is one percent of the nation’s consolidated funding.
Okey Onyeka identified the challenges faced by effective delivery of services at the primary health centers as insufficient staffs, inadequate equipment, inadequate job training, and lack of staff quarters for the health workers.
He also pointed out that many primary health centers are faced with paucity of funds as the politicians always consider and calculate funds spent while Civil Rights Concern calculates values brought to great number of people at in the communities.
The Executive Director of CRC advocated improved participation by the community members to ensure effective monitoring of the funds and be part of annual and quarterly plan process to escalate the observed issues to the attention of duty bearers.
Okey Onyeka harped on the need for collaboration between the community President Generals (PGs), State Primary Health Care and Ward Development Committees.
He insisted that CRC is an interested party in Primary Health Care delivery as she is interested in ensuring that primary health funds actualized the purpose for which it was set up.
Nwaka Chidinma at the occasion delivered paper on Primary Health Centers Audit Framework in a forum that featured Madam Ugochi Ehiahuruke, Executive Director of SIDEC.