By Chidiebere Onyemaizu
Consistent with Cross River state Governor Bassey Otu’s commitment to the digitization of health information management, the state’s Immunization Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) Project has procured 196 laptops for onward distribution to personnel in the health records units across primary health centres in all 196 wards of the state.
The laptops were presented to the governor at his office in Calabar, the state capital, Wednesday.
The IMPACT Project, funded by the World Bank, aims to reduce maternal mortality, malaria, neonatal mortality, as well as infant and under-five mortality rates.
While receiving the equipment, the governor praised the World Bank’s contributions to the improvement of health services in the state, noting that the IMPACT Project would add further impetus to feats already achieved through the symbiotic relationship between Cross River and the World Bank.
“Health has continued to be one of our very major priorities. It is true that without health, of course, we wouldn’t even have a state. That is why you can bear me witness that most of the projects that have come out, in terms of counterpart funding, we have engaged all of them.
“We’ll continue to give that support, whatever it takes, to make sure that we do our best for our people. We have allocated over N5 billion in our 2025 budget to upscale all our primary health facilities. We also have plans for health insurance because we know that health insurance is not where it’s supposed to be. We’re working very hard to come out with the best health insurance for our people.
“Please, ensure that those facilities are put into use and not left as furniture in those offices. Because, actually, the system we are trying to put in place is something that the local government chairmen, the ward councillors and everybody will be involved. Both in education and healthcare, we need to ensure that most of the things that are invested get right down to the people. So I want to thank the World Bank for these interventions,” Governor Otu said.
Earlier, the IMPACT Project manager, Dr. Paul Odey, explained that the project would in no small measure improve the health sector of Cross River State.
His words: “This is a World Bank project that started on the 17th of February, 2021. However, before now, Cross River State was not part of this project. The People First mantra came in, and the Sweet Prince approved this thoughtful project to be brought to Cross River State”
Odey further disclosed that the project primarily focuses on immunization for children under five years, malaria eradication, pregnant women, training and sensitization of health attendants to ensure that facilities are accessible to those living in rural areas.
The IMPACT Project manager emphasized that the importance of digitizing the healthcare system was for effective monitoring and evaluation.
“We have 196 laptops presented here. These laptops will be distributed to the 196 facilities and wards in the states. There are designated facilities with monitoring and evaluation officers that will take charge of this equipment.
“Most times you get flooding or fire outbreak in a facility, and everything including their registers is gone. But with the laptops, they are going to digitalize the entire system. All health records from OPD, antenatal care, immunization, all will be recorded and put in a particular set at a digital health information system.
“To this end, the designated facilities will have M&E officers responsible for overseeing this initiative.”
“For monitoring and evaluation to ensure the sustainability of these systems, the primary healthcare director-general and her team have established quarterly monitoring to ensure that these systems are functional and that data is accurately captured,” he added.
The event was attended by members of the Cross River health cluster, notably, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu, the DG of Primary Healthcare, Dr. Ekpo Ekpo Bassey, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Chief Godwin Iyala, DG, Cross River State Health Insurance Agency, as well as other government officials.