Health district says limited government funding and declining donor support make partnerships, telemedicine and electronic medical systems critical to strengthening primary healthcare.
By Heapnews
Lagos State has urged healthcare administrators to explore alternative sources of support and engage local communities to improve services at primary healthcare centres (PHCs) amid funding constraints.
Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor, made the call at a three-day 2026 Strategic Management Retreat organised by the Lagos State Health District One (LSHD1).
The retreat, which began on Thursday, has the theme, “From Constraints to Creativity: Harnessing Untapped Resources at Primary Health Centres”.
Ogunyemi said PHCs remained the foundation of the healthcare system and that administrators needed to identify opportunities to improve the quality and accessibility of services, particularly at the grassroots.
She urged healthcare managers to involve traditional rulers, faith-based organisations, market women and other community groups in decisions concerning healthcare delivery.
“Community engagement is key if we truly want to harness the untapped resources at the various PHCs to enhance healthcare delivery at the grassroots,” she said.
She added that closer engagement would help healthcare providers understand residents’ needs, identify service delivery challenges and develop solutions with community members.
“When we engage the community, they tell us what they want, and we can also tell them some of our challenges, which they can also help address,” she said.
Ogunyemi also stressed the importance of recognising healthcare workers, noting that every category of staff, from doctors and drivers to security personnel, contributed to patients’ experiences and the functioning of health facilities.
She commended the six health districts in Lagos for their contributions to healthcare delivery, saying innovation, collaboration and strategic planning were necessary to sustain improvements.
Speaking earlier, Dr Sola Pitan, Permanent Secretary of LSHD1, said the retreat was designed to identify available resources and develop practical strategies for addressing challenges facing primary healthcare facilities.
He said conventional funding sources, including government budgets and assistance from local and international organisations, were insufficient to meet the needs of PHCs.
Pitan also cited changes in the global funding environment and reduced donor support as reasons for exploring alternative sources of financing and community partnerships.
“We need to come together as providers, as people, as professionals to look around us, to think through what resources we have,” he said.
He identified traditional rulers, faith-based organisations, corporate bodies and other community stakeholders as potential partners in supporting primary healthcare facilities.
The district also plans to adopt technology, including telemedicine and electronic medical systems, to improve service delivery despite limited resources, he said.
Pitan said the retreat would give health workers an opportunity to contribute ideas towards developing a roadmap for the district’s strategic objectives in 2027.
He said the district was also strengthening collaboration between primary and secondary healthcare facilities to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes through its Target Zero initiative, which seeks to eliminate maternal and neonatal deaths.
According to him, training and capacity-building programmes have been organised for healthcare professionals across both levels of care, while additional communication channels are being planned to improve coordination and patient follow-up.
Pitan urged residents to enrol in the state’s Ilera Eko health insurance scheme to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare spending and improve access to medical services.
The retreat also featured cash incentives for outstanding workers from various departments in PHCs under the health district in recognition of their contributions to service delivery.