By Dare Akogun
In it’s bid at strengthening quality service delivery and professionalism the Senator representing Kwara Central in Senate, Dr Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe has facilitated capacity-building training for the primary healthcare workers in Asa Local Government Area of the constituency.
The one-day training themed, “Training of Primary Healthcare Workers in Asa Communities on Sensitization of Healthy Lifestyle, Asa LGA, Kwara Central Senatorial District” was designed to promote healthy lifestyles among health workers and their clients, using the integrated community-based approach for the prevention and control of lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases.
The program which is part of the year 2022 Capital Projects of the lawmaker was also intended to develop the skills of NCDs coordinators, health promotion officers, and training officers at the regional and provincial level as advocates and potential trainers in their localities and for them to develop their regional and local plans for training community health workers and other persons in different sectors on promoting healthy lifestyle.
Speaking at the event held over the weekend at the Ago-Oja Primary Health Centre, Asa LGA, Sen. Oloriegbe, represented by his aide, Shittu Oloriegbe said the training is geared towards upscaling the standard of healthcare services accessible to the people in the grassroots in his constituency.
According to him, “Healthcare providers play a central role in health promotion and lifestyle information aimed at educating the patients as well as the general population on the need to embrace healthy habits which in turn strengthen wellness and neutralize the risk of avoidable illness.
“This initiative is imperative in the pursuit of the bid to strengthen the capacity of health workers for effective service delivery.”
“As reported, lifestyle-related diseases are increasing, and deliberate efforts have to be taken to prevent and control non-communicable diseases to promote a healthy lifestyle.
“This brought about the need for this intervention which seeks to aid the transformative delivery of primary healthcare to afford the people at the grassroots access to quality and affordable health care services,” he said.
Elemosho Nafisat, a registered nurse working at Laduba Primary Health Centre, who is amongst the participants in the training expressed appreciation to Sen. Oloriegbe for the initiative which she described as ‘a timely intervention’ that is very necessary for the health care providers working in the rural communities.
She commended the quality of the training given to them noting that it was expository and enlightening whilst assuring that the knowledge imparted to them would be transmitted to their colleagues at the various working places and such would reflect in the service rendered to their clients.
The Baale of Ago-Oja, Mallam Dauda Salahudeen Arolu in his reaction commended Sen. Oloriegbe for the choice of their health facility as the host of the training whilst appealing for more interventions in the area of expansion and equipment donation which will enhance service delivery to the residents of the community and beyond.
The training had in attendance, the TIC Chairman of Asa LGA, Mallam Abdulganiyu Saad Atebise, who was represented by Commissioner 1, Local Government Service Commission – Abdulganeey Toyeeb, the representatives from Pharmacists Council of Nigeria led by Mr Obiabene Eche, the HOD Health Asa LGA – Ibrahim Motunrayo, the Supervisory Councillor for health – Sakariyah Abdul Lateef amongst others.
