By Hassan Zaggi
The National Council on Health (NCH) has charge states to own and lead the implementation of the COVID-19 Community Support Centres (CSCs).
It took this position after it has supported the need to establish Community Support Centres in order to halt the community transmission of COVID-19 in all communities across the country.
The Support Centres will first be established in high burden states including Lagos, Kano, and FCT.
This is one of the resolutions of NCH at its virtual meeting on Tuesday.
The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire and attended my majority of the Commissioners of Health in the country.
In a communique it issued at the end of the meeting, the NCH said it approved the Health Sector COVID-19 Pandemic Response Action Plan which was developed by the Federal Ministry of Health.
“Council noted the development of the Health Sector COVID-19 Pandemic Response Action Plan and the proposed establishment of Community Support Centres (CSCs), in the first instance, in high burden states (Lagos, Kano, and FCT) towards reducing community transmission of COVID-19.
“Council also noted the progress of work/support by all stakeholders and challenges encountered in the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic across the states of the federation,” the communique noted.
Some major decisions taken by the Council according to the communique is that, “COVID-19 Community Support Centres (CSCs) should not be established as parallel centres but as additional options to relieve the burden of service delivery on existing facilities
“States are to own and lead the implementation of the COVID-19 Community Support Centres (CSCs) where desirable
“FMOH will share a template on needs assessment and daily reporting format on case management to facilitate decision making for federal government support to states.”
The NCH is the highest decision making body in the health sector. It is chaired by the Minister of Health and all commissioners for health of the 36 states including the Director of Health Services of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are members.
