Groups seek utilization of SURE-P MCH facilities in Ogun

Five non-government organisations in Ogun State have advocated maximum utilization of materials under the Maternal Child Health (MCH) programme of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) in the state.

The groups are worried that lack of use of materials provided by the government for the programme could mar the essence of the programme, they told selected media representatives at an advocacy forum in Abeokuta.

The groups are the Raise of Hope Foundation, Development Concept International, Positive Outreach Foundation, Doma Educational Development Foundation and Bright Rays.

The trio of Mark Folorunso, Taiwo Adebanjo and Tola Adenekan submitted the major factor militating against MCH at the designated centres in the state, was that of material utilization.

“The materials were actually available, but not utilized. People around these designated centres are not coming for the free use of the centre, and this could affect the set objectives of the programme,” Adebanjo said.

She added that most of the pregnant women targeted for the programme “are also unmindful of the fact that they stand to get paid for patronizing the centres.”

According to Folorunso, the objectives of the SURE-P MCH Project are to increase the availability of skilled health workers able to provide materials and child health services at primary health care level.

“It is also meant to provide visible infrastructure upgrades to primary health care centres (PHCs), increase supply of essential service commodities at the primary health care centres in order to improve service delivery and also increase the demand for MCH service in vulnerable communities through the use of Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) and community engagement at the grassroots,” he said.

The advocacy project, Adenekan explained, became necessary for the 2013 project, which has been zoned to Imeko Afon, Ijebu Ode and Abeokuta South council areas.”

At Imeko Afon, we have intervention centres at Afon Primary Health Centre (PHC), Iwoye PHC, Ilara and at Imeko PHCs.

“For Ijebu-ode, we have the centres at Iwade