Due to the poor condition of some Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Ogun State, health advocates are urging local communities to support the state government in repairing and improving healthcare services.
Residents were also encouraged to help address the shortage of healthcare workers by encouraging their daughters to join the Ogun State School of Nursing’s community midwifery program.
These calls were made during a health outreach event in Ode-Omi, located in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area, on Tuesday.
The outreach, organized by Wellness Africa Foundation (WAF), LEAP Africa, and the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF), aimed to engage local leaders and raise awareness about the need to renovate PHCs in the state.
The groups emphasized that the government cannot repair the damaged healthcare facilities on its own and that community support is necessary.
“We are asking the community to help by reaching out to family members living abroad for support, encouraging daughters to join the community midwifery program at Ogun State School of Nursing, and collaborating to gather resources for the health centres,” the groups said.
Dr. Omotola Akinmolayan, WAF’s Programme Director, also spoke at the event, stressing that both the state government and local communities must work together to fix the PHCs.
“The success of this project depends on our joint efforts. We must all work together to ensure our health centre meets the needs of our community,” she said.
Jolomi Kehinde, a healthcare worker at the PHC in Ode-Omi, explained that the clinic is meant to serve over 20 communities. However, the poor condition of the facility has made it difficult to provide essential healthcare services.