Lagos State Government says soon, access to general hospitals may be restricted to referrals to encourage the use of primary health care centres in the state.

Governor Babatunde Fashola said this on Thursday during the inauguration of Eredo Primary Healthcare Centre in Epe Constituency II, as part of its 24-hour comprehensive flagship initiative.

He cited the example of United Kingdom, saying no specialist doctor would attend to any patient without a referral from a general practitioner.

The governor said, “Very soon, no doctor will attend to you in the general hospitals except you have a referral note from a primary health care centre. What you seek in the UK is now here with you, you do not need to travel long distance anymore.”

He urged residents of the state to use PHCs for cases including ante-natal, child delivery, malaria fever, and typhoid fever. He added that the PHC would refer delicate cases to the general hospitals.

He said, “What we seek to achieve is to build a referral healthcare system that moves from a robust and intensive grassroots health care, starting from a 24-hour service delivery at the various local governments, through to the general hospitals, and up to the teaching hospitals.

“This is the only way we can fully integrate, redistribute and optimise our assets. This model has succeeded in every part of the world, we want to replicate it here to make health care a local success.”

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This a good health POLICY initiative from Fashola, SAN.
However he needs to ensure that the LGAs do their job without the state encroaching and taking over their responsibilities while the over-paid Councillors and Chairmen sleep on duty.


[img]http://transplantcoa.files./2011/01/asleep-at-desk.jpg[/img]


The role of the state should be limited to

- setting standards for staffing, equipment, drugs etc.
- REGULAR inspections.
- annual award for most efficient PHC and LGA.
etc, etc.

Is it when the person is at the point of death at the mercy of health centre nurses that he's referred to general hospital? For Fashola to have said this, it means plans to refurbish the health centres are underway. A lot of these primary health centers understaffed and underequipped, not a place anybdy would want to go for ante-natal and delivery imo.

dominique: Is it when the person is at the point of death at the mercy of health centre nurses that he's referred to general hospital? For Fashola to have said this, it means plans to refurbish the health centres are underway. A lot of these primary health centers understaffed and underequipped, not a place anybdy would want to go for ante-natal and delivery imo.

It is not the state's responsibility to take care of PHCs. That is the function of LGAs. The states cater for general hospitals.

Do you know there is a Supervisory Councillor for Health in each LGA?
What do you think they are supposed to do

Excellent policy!!!

We need more people with brains in this country.

The big challenge I see is how this will be enforced.

this is standard practice worldwide. referrals can come from phc or private. clinics and hospitals. it does not apply to emergency cases.

anonimi:

It is not the state's responsibility to take care of PHCs. That is the function of LGAs. The states cater for general hospitals.

Do you know there is a Supervisory Councillor for Health in each LGA?
What do you think they are supposed to do

True that the LGA chairmen and their subordinates can be absolutely useless. but if the government wants to make the general hospitals only for complicated cases, then I expect them to work hand in hand with the primart health care centres and bring them up to standard. Most of them are nothing to write home about.

It sounds like a good idea But primary health care centres have to be strengthened and well equipped first.