Govt transfers primary healthcare staff to board

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government Service Commission, Henry Lankwap, yesterday, said the government has transferred all staff of the Primary Health Care departments in the 17 local government areas in the state to the Plateau State Primary Health Board.

He said the action followed a request by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to have a direct link to agencies saddled with healthcare service delivery.

This, according to Lankwap, prompted Governor Lalong to send a bill which was passed by the state legislature and assented by him to ensure, among others, accessible, qualitative, and affordable health care service at the grassroots.

Mr. Lankwap gave the disclosure while handing over files of the affected staff to the Executive Secretary, Plateau State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr. Livinus Miapkwap, in Jos.

The Permanent Secretary added that the Department of Water,

Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in the 17 LGAs had also been handed over to the Primary Healthcare Board to ensure delivery of good services, adding that all the transferred staff had been deployed to their new areas.

While receiving the files, Dr. Miapkwap said the decision to transfer the staff showed the commitment of Governor Lalong to improve healthcare delivery to the vulnerable and less privileged in the state.

The Executive Secretary further hoped that the partnership would be sustained in order to strengthen the institutional capacity of the health system at the grassroots in the state.