Towards achieving better customer satisfaction and qualitative service delivery, The Ondo State Government has scaled up the capacity of Medicine Handlers as the State Contributory Health Scheme is about to start.
At the Train the Trainers programme which took place in Akure, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenro said with the coming of the Contributory Health Scheme aimed at achieving universal health coverage, it is expected that there will be upsurge, in health facilities, hence the need to scale up the capacity of Health Workers for better service delivery.
Dr Adegbenro said any error in the medical process which he described as a chain, could endanger the life of the patient, this, he said the government is guarding against.
The Health Commissioner added that customer satisfaction is the driving force of the Ondo State Contributory Health Scheme and that the government will do all humanly possible to ensure the state achieves Universal Health Coverage.
The Executive Secretary Ondo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Francis Akanbiemu opined that Medical Services is incomplete without essential Drug Management.
READ ALSO: We Have Achieved 300% Improvement In Primary Healthcare Programmes – Akeredolu
Dr Akanbiemu disclosed that gaps were noticed in drug management, hence the need to bridge the gap by training the critical mass of professionals that will go back and train others.
He added that the training was a followup to a training that was done across the state In July , as there need to train medicine handlers who will be going out to supervise and train others to ensure drug management is carried out as it should.
In his Goodwill message, Mr Adebola Lawal who represented the State PSN Chairman opined that the role of drug administration in patient management cannot be over emphasised as any fault with prescription and handling, faults the entire medical process.
Mr Lawal appealed to participants to listen attentively so that they can cascade the training correctly in the interest and betterment of patients.
Also in his Goodwill message, the Programme Coordinator Nigeria State Health Investment Project (NSHIP), Dr. Paulinus Omode who also buttressed the role of Pharmaceutical Services in Medical management, said there is need for training and retraining of Health Workers so they can be in tune with Global Best Practices in their various fields.
He thanked the State Government for organising the training saying nothing is too much for the government to give safeguard to the health and lives of the people
The number one Pharmacist in the state and Director Pharmaceutical Services Ondo State Ministry of Health, Pharm Olugbenga Lasekan appealed to participants to do their jobs with utmost caution because of the legal implication of what is prescribed and how is is dispensed.
Pharm Lasekan informed them that the State Government has zero tolerance for expired products so they should manage effectively drugs in their custody and avoid waste of scarce resources.
The Convener and Director Pharmaceutical Services Ondo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Akindele Akinruntan said the training became necessary because in the cause of supervision, it was noticed that there are gaps in drug management in health facilities ,which if not quickly addressed, could endanger the lives and health of patients.
Dr Akinruntan said some practices being carried out were not in tandem with modern medical practices,thus participants were drawn from the 18 LGAs to be taught the right thing to be done per time.
Some participants interviewed which include, the Director Nursing Services, Ondo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Mrs Adeyinka Kajero, Pharmacist Tope Olowolayemo,from Ese-odo and Pharmacist Technician Ola Oparinde from Ishua in Akoko East LGA, said the training is timely, a morale booster, continued training is the is the in thing as Health Workers must be up to date on Best Global Health Practices.
They promised to scale it down correctly while pleading with the government to employ more pharmacists and other drug handlers.