By Chris Chikelue/Azuka Nnabuife
The Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NSRII) has organized a 4-Day Sector-Wide Approach (SWAP) Leadership, Health Systems Strengthening and planning: Capacity Development Workshop for Anambra state Health Leaders and Managers.
The event which was held in Awka from July 15 to 18 brought together Health workers from the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike while speaking on the event said it was organized to prepare the Health workers on the Ministry’s annual operational Plan.
“We have people from every programme and from every Department; the Primary Healthcare, Insurance, the Health Education Section and the Tertiary and Secondary health activities here to discuss holistically what we are going to be doing for the coming year and to ensure that everything that are going to be done are grouped and aligned so that there won’t be segregation of activities.
“The training is also for efficiency and for producing good results,’’ he said.
For the target of the programme on the workers the Commissioner said, “Well first we are building capacity and people; planning for programme of activities that will occur in the next year and also reviewing what we have done so far this year to make sure the programmes are aligned together so that there will not be any segregation of activities.
“All in all we are preparing them to remain on the operational plan so that all the programmes will be aligned so we can have good results and reduce unnecessary spending of resources because when you align your ideas and your programmes you will reduce inefficiency and resource wastage’’.
The Desk Officer SWAP, Dr. Obianuju Okoye further explained the rudiments of the training, she said, “the Sector-Wide Approach is a programme of the Federal Ministry of Health.
“This training is going on in all the states of the Federation, so that we will have one Plan, one Budget and one Conversation in the health sector nationwide.
“Every state has a priority area and we should all be speaking one language of development and moving forward together.”
She commended the training and said that it would bring out the best in the Health workers and redefine their ways of operation from now to the coming year.
