Some residents of Bwari Area Council of the FCT have called on government at all levels to ensure improved medical services at health centres located within rural communities.
The residents made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, while commemorating the International World Health Day (WHD).
This year’s WHD theme is ‘My Health, My Right.’
Mr John Awoyi, Youth leader, Bwari Youth Forum, said that good health was paramount to any individual and therefore, must be every administrators’ number one priority for its people.
According to him, this year’s theme says my health, my right, pointing the right of every individual whether rich or poor, in the urban area or in the rural area, to access good health services.
“It is therefore important that our various leaders at all levels, from the Federal level to the local government authorities, to ensure that the needs of the people in these areas, are improved.
“This should be in the provisions of increased manpower at the primary health centres, medical equipment, access to drugs, refurbished facilities, constant power supply among other necessities.
“It is very important that those in rural communities receive these services because they are more prone to infections and diseases and deserved urgency in curbing most communicable diseases.”
Awoyi, while quoting reports by the World Health Organisation (WHO), also said that it was sad to note that the right to health was unfortunately, coming under a threat to millions around the world and not Nigeria alone.
He, therefore, called on stakeholders in the country, with emphasis on the health sector, to double their efforts towards ensuring that all hands were on deck to achieving a healthy people.
Similarly, Mrs Esther Bako, another resident also called on the council’s administration to enhance services at designated primary health centres in the district.
Bako, who is also a medical practitioner, sought the council’s indepth consideration towards providing work tools and more professional hands at the centres to help attend to the increasing populace.
She said that the economic challenges have had much impact on a lot of people thereby, causing death, pain, hunger and psychological distress among individuals and families, especially those in rural areas.
This, she added, might keep increasing if necessary measures were not put in place to address and attend to the challenges at hand.
Bako, while commending the council for a significant progress in various immunisation exercises, urged for enhancement of skills of the health workers in the area for better service delivery.
NAN reports that Mr John Gabaya, Chairman, Bwari Area Council had reiterated that his administration was dedicated to ensuring improved health management in all the communities of the council.
He had said that under the year 2023 review, his administration had provided health care services to the grassroot inline with its mandate.