Foundation to adopt 40 Nigerian PHCs for revitalisation

The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of MTN- Nigeria’s mobile telecommunication giant, MTN Foundation, has rolled out plans to adopt 40 out of Nigeria’s 25,380 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) for revitalisation support.

The intervention is coming on the heels of the declaration by the Nigerian government that only 463 out of the 25,380 PHCs, amounting to 1.8 per cent, possess the required number of Skilled Birth Attendants (SBAs).

The planned intervention, according to the Foundation, is aimed at improving the health outcomes of underserved Nigerian communities that would be successfully chosen through what it described as a merit-based process.

The Foundation, in a statement which was made available to PREMIUM TIMES, noted that revamping the PHCs is the focus of the 5th edition of its initiative tagged: “What Can We Do Together (WCWDT)”.

About WCWDT initiative

Launched in 2015, the Foundation said the WCWDT campaign was initiated to address “various community development needs such as education, health infrastructure, and economic empowerment”.

It said since it kicked off, the initiative has impacted more than 586 communities nationwide, “reaching 2,930,000 people through investments in education, health, and economic empowerment, among others.

“This was done by installing solar-powered boreholes, providing household items to orphanages, donating learning materials to schools, and setting up ICT laboratories in public secondary schools,” the Foundation said.

Why PHCs?

The organisation said the WCWDT initiative would welcome suggestions from Nigerians which PHCs require urgent attention through a nomination process involving a short text message by sending the word “MTN” to 421.

It said apart from infrastructural facelifts, each of the selected PHCs will be fully equipped with solar-powered boreholes to address water challenges the facilities may be facing.

“In selecting the PHCs that will be upgraded by the MTN Foundation, the Foundation collaborates with well-meaning Nigerians to nominate PHCs in their communities in need of an upgrade,” the statement added.

It said the nomination process will close on 17 June.

The Foundation’s Executive Secretary, Odunayo Sanya, said the campaign has been an integral part of the organisation’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The executive secretary said, “This year’s theme, #TogetherforHealth is aimed at addressing the healthcare needs of people living in rural and underserved areas by improving access to quality healthcare services. Presently, many of the PHC facilities in Nigeria lack the capacity to provide essential healthcare services, with issues such as low staffing, inadequate equipment, distribution of health workers, quality of healthcare services, condition of infrastructure, and lack of essential drug supply.

“This is why, as a Foundation, we’re partnering with various organisations and stakeholders in the health sector to ensure that the PHCs are equipped with the necessary facilities and personnel to provide quality healthcare services to the communities.”

READ ALSO: MTN Nigeria allots 4 million incentive shares to shareholders

The Foundation said every individual that nominates a PHC will be contacted for verification.

State of Nigeria’s PHCs

In May, Nigeria launched a new initiative to address the identified skill gaps in the workforce of the PHCs.

The former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, who led other government officials, including the immediate past Health Minister, Osagie Ehanire, and the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, lamented the poor state of the primary health care facilities across the country.

The initiative, which is tagged “Community-based Health Research, Innovative-training and Services Programme (CRISP),” according to the government, addresses the significant challenge.