Edo Commences Training Of 900 Frontline Health Workers
By Osehobo Ofure, Benin City
The Edo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (EDSPHCDA) has commenced the lower-level training of 900 frontline healthcare workers across the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
The targeted workers include Medical Officers of Health, Nurses and Midwives, Community Health Officers, Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs), and Junior Community Health Extension Workers (JCHEWs) providing clinical services in public Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs).
Officials say the training is part of the Federal Government’s initiative to strengthen Nigeria’s primary healthcare system, with a nationwide plan to train 120,000 frontline health workers, including refresher programs.
According to the Executive Secretary of EDSPHCDA, Dr. Coulson Osoikhai Oahimire, “The training is a crucial step in strengthening the capacity of primary healthcare workers, ensuring they are equipped with the necessary skills to improve healthcare service delivery across Edo State.”
State Coordinator of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Josephine Obayagbona, urged participants to take full advantage of the training by being attentive and actively participating to maximize learning and improve their efficiency in healthcare service delivery.
The exercise is being conducted in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), the Edo State Ministry of Health (SMoH), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The 10-day training sessions, scheduled to hold at the secretariat complexes of the 18 LGAs, include practical, skill-building approaches to ensure participants acquire hands-on experience. The training consists of lectures, participatory discussions, simulations, and hands-on practical sessions, facilitated by experienced national and state trainers drawn from institutions such as federal and state Ministries of Health, the NPHCDA, the EDSPHCDA, teaching hospitals, healthcare institutions, and general hospitals.
Additionally, a dedicated team of mentors and supervisors from the NPHCDA, the Federal Ministry of Health, the EDSPHCDA, the Edo State Ministry of Health, and WHO have been deployed across all LGAs to monitor and ensure the smooth execution of the exercise.
