Assessment of the performance of Local Government in primary health care service delivery in southwestern Nigeria.
Loading...
Date
2016
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Political science,Obafemi Awolowo University
Abstract
The study examined the role of the local government in the implementation of primary health care service and assessed the impact of the local government in primary health care service delivery. It also ascertained the challenges confronting the local government in the delivery of primary health care services in the study area. These were with the view to assessing the performance of local government in primary health care service delivery in South-western Nigeria.
The study made use of primary and secondary sources of data collection. Primary data were sourced through questionnaire administration and conduct of in-depth interviews (IDIs). Lagos, Ogun and Ondo states were purposively selected from the six South-western states based on their unique importance and emphasis on primary healthcare services. A total of 282 respondents were drawn from two local governments in each state, made up of one urban and one rural, using stratified random sampling technique. The selected urban local governments were Oshodi-Isolo Local Government (Lagos), Abeokuta North Local Government (Ogun) and Odigbo Local Government (Ondo), while the selected rural local governments were Epe Local Government (Lagos), Obafemi Owode Local Government (Ogun) and Akoko South East Local Government (Ondo). A total of 264 respondents were selected for questionnaire administration. The sample size was equally spread in which 44 respondents made up of 17 community health workers, 5 community leaders and 22 users of the health centres, were selected from each local government using simple random technique, totalling 88 respondents in each state. Also, using simple random sampling technique, 18 respondents were selected for interview made up of; one councillor, one health supervisor and local government primary health care coordinator in each local government, totalling 6 respondents in each state. Secondary data were sourced from textbooks, journals, the internet, magazines, government publications, publications by organisations and newspapers. Quantitative data were analysed using frequency distribution, while qualitative data were analysed through content analysis.
The study found that local government had not effectively played its role in providing primary health care service to the people (69.3%); there was poor community participation in determining primary health care programmes (71.6%); and that there was ineffective treatment for commonly identified disease in communities (62.5%).The study also found that the impact of local government in primary health care service delivery on the welfare of the people in South-western Nigeria had been limited. The result of the analysis shows that respondents had open storage waste-bin in their various houses (52.6%); there was low public enlightment on adequate nutrition (71.6%); and poor source of water (53.1%). Finally, the study found several challenges militating against the efficient and effective delivery of primary healthcare services to include obsolete facilities (68.9%), scarcity of essential drugs (65.5%), poor attitude of healthcare workers (69.3%), poor quality of services (64.8%) and poor roads network to the healthcare centres (62.1%).
The study concluded that poor performance of local government in primary healthcare service delivery impede the welfare and healthy living of the people.
Description
xv, 153p
Keywords
Health, Local Government, Health care
Citation
Irabor,P.O (2016). Assessment of the performance of Local Government in primary health care service delivery in southwestern Nigeria. Obafemi Awolowo University