By Doris Obinna
Permanent secretary, Lagos State Health district II, Dr. Dayo Lajide, has tasked health workers in the district, covering Kosofe, Somolu and Ikorodu LGAs, with improving health service delivery to residents in all primary health facilities within the district.
Lajide, who gave this charge recently during the inaugural meeting of the management and staff of the Lagos State Health District II, including the newly appointed heads of directorates and medical officers of health (MOHs) within the district, harped on the need for health workers to team up and provide quality and efficient health services anchored on patient empathy, dignity and respect.
She added that showing empathy and treating patients with dignity and respect would help improve patient satisfaction, treatment compliance and clinical outcomes.
This, according to her, would also go a long way in achieving the goal of attaining universal health coverage, while also noting that patients are more likely to access health care and follow their treatment plan at facilities where they feel heard and understood.
She noted that the Lagos State government, ministry of health and state primary healthcare board, had organised continuing medical education programmes and capacity development training centred around the role of healthcare workers in quality health service improvement.
Lajide assured health workers in the district of the state government’s commitment to continuous training and capacity-building programmes in that regard.
The permanent secretary explained that the inaugural meeting of management and staff of the health district II with MOHs was geared towards ensuring that officers of health district II and MOHs understand their roles and responsibilities, and work in synergy to provide affordable and accessible quality health services to the people of the district, as envisioned by the governor.
“The aim of the inaugural meeting was to formally introduce the district officers to the MOHs and also discuss the level of implementation of the Free Health palliative initiative of Mr. Governor at various PHCs within the district”, she said.
She reiterated her dedication to ensuring the smooth delivery of healthcare at the primary level throughout the district.