Ekiti recruits volunteers to help pregnant women access healthcare

Ekiti State Government has recruited health volunteers to reach out to pregnant women in all the 177 wards of the state to ensure they access the primary health care facilities so as to guarantee their safe delivery.

The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani, disclosed this yesterday at the launch of the 354 Health Vanguards who are drawn from the 177 wards of Ekit State.

Filani said that the role of the health volunteers would be to encourage pregnant women, inform them about ante natal care services and birth services, as well as ensure that they are able to link them up with PHC services so that they can have safe delivery.

“The Health vanguards are community volunteers who live in their communities. They are 354 at the moment. They will get the phone numbers of every pregnant woman in the state.

“You have a responsibility to help us. Reach out to every single pregnant woman in the communities, get their phone numbers. . I will follow up myself by randomly calling them.

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“You will also carry out other health promotional activities, encouraging people around about the uptake of health insurance and also some elements of malaria treatment.”

Filani said the goal is to encourage pregnant woman to come to the facilities and also to ensure that people who have malaria can be treated safely and effectively in our communities.

Also speaking at the event, the Project Director, Solina Health, under the IMPCAT Project, Mr. Ayodele Alegbeleye said that healthcare services can be brought to the doorsteps of service beneficiaries across the state in partnership with the state government.

He said that If any pregnant woman goes through the existing structure which is the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund or Ulerawa, they will enjoy free services in all the 177 PHC located one per ward that are providing free healthcare services for every pregnant woman that comes into the facility.