CRSG gets 196 laptops
… to aid health information management
By Onwa Ekor, Calabar
In a bid to digitize health information management in Cross River, Immunization Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) Project, recently procured 196 laptops for onward distribution to personnel in the health records units, across the 196 wards Primary Health Centers in the state.
The IMPACT Project which is funded by the World Bank aims at reducing maternal mortality, malaria, neonatal mortality, as well as infant and under-five mortality rates.
Receiving the equipment Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu, lauded the World Bank’s contributions to the improvement of health services in the state, noting that the newly introduced IMPACT Project, would add to the already achieved feats in the health sector through the symbiotic relationship between the state and the World Bank.
According to Otu, “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 counterparts funding, we have engaged all of them.”
He maintained that his administration would continue to offer the needed support, hence the allocation of over N5 billion in the 2025 budget to upscale all primary health facilities.
He also added that the present administration in the state would introduce a formidable health insurance program that will be beneficial to the citizenry.
“Please, ensure that those facilities are put into use and not left as furniture in those offices, because the system we are trying to put in place is something that the local government chairmen, ward councilors 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,” the governor said.
Earlier, the IMPACT Project Manager, Dr. Paul Odey, informed that the project will, in no small measure, improve the health sector of Cross River.
His words: “This is a World Bank project that started on the 17th of February 2021. However, before now, Cross River was not part of this project. The People’s First mantra came in, and the Sweet Prince approved this thoughtful project to be brought to the state.”
Odey explained that the project primarily focuses on immunization for children under five, pregnant women, training and sensitization of health attendants to ensure that the facilities get to those living in rural areas.
He added that the importance of digitizing the healthcare system is 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 these equipment.
“Most times you get flooding or fire outbreak in a facility, and everything including their registers is gone. But with these 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.”
Continuing, he remarked that the Primary Healthcare Director- General and her team have established quarterly monitoring to ensure that the systems are functional and that data is accurately captured.
The event was attended by members of the health cluster in the state including the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Ayuk; Director General of Primary Healthcare, Dr. Vivian Otu; Special Adviser to the governor on health, Dr Ekpo Ekpo Bassey; Director-General, Cross River Health Insurance Agency, Chief Godwin Iyala, among others.
