NEDC Conducts Needs Assessment to Strengthen Primary Healthcare Facilities in Adamawa
Ibrahim Mohammed
The North-East Development Commission (NEDC) has conducted a comprehensive needs assessment at the Adamawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA), to Strengthen Primary Healthcare Facilities.
This followed a request by the Agency for the provision of hospital beds, mattresses, and related equipment for Primary Healthcare (PHC) facilities across the state.
The assessment team was led by the NEDC’s State Coordinator, Khalifa Lawal, with staff from the health department of the humanitarian directorate.
The engagement was received by the Chairman of the Adamawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Suleiman Saidu Bashir, alongside members of his team.
The assessment was undertaken in line with the Commission’s ongoing efforts to revitalize the North-East region and, particularly, to advance Pillar 4 of its mandate, which focuses on achieving a healthy citizenry across the region.
In his address, the Chairman of the Agency said, the state currently has 1,070 Primary Healthcare facilities comprising Health Posts, Health Clinics and PHC Centres, across 226 political wards and 21 Local Government Areas.
Accorsing to him, approximately 667 of these facilities provide routine immunization services, while about 470 operate 24-hour services, providing essential obstetric and newborn care.
He highlighted the significant investments made by the State Government in strengthening primary healthcare infrastructure, including the construction and reconstruction of 111 new Level II PHC facilities.
According to him, each is designed with a 30-bed capacity, adding that more than 250 PHC facilities have reportedly been renovated and upgraded across the state in recent years.
Despite these infrastructural improvements, the assessment identified the provision of appropriate medical furniture and equipment as a major requirement for ensuring that the upgraded facilities can operate effectively and provide quality services to communities.
Speaking during the assessment, the NEDC team emphasized the importance of conducting a detailed facility-level verification to ensure that any intervention is based on actual needs and reaches facilities where the equipment is most urgently required.
The exercise is expected to provide the Commission with verified data on the distribution, condition, and equipment gaps of PHC facilities across Adamawa State and guide subsequent decisions regarding possible intervention.
The NEDC team also reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to supporting the improvement of healthcare delivery in the North-East, particularly at the grassroots level, in line with its mandate to support sustainable development and improve the well-being of communities across the region.
The assessment concluded with an understanding between the NEDC and ASPHCDA on the need for continued collaboration and evidence-based planning to strengthen primary healthcare infrastructure and services across Adamawa State.
The engagement is expected to contribute to efforts to ensure that newly constructed, reconstructed, and upgraded PHC facilities are adequately equipped to provide accessible and quality healthcare services to residents of the state’s 21 LGAs and 226 wards.
