Anambra State Primary Healthcare Revitalisation Bill

Purpose

To establish statewide minimum standards, staffing benchmarks and a dedicated financing mechanism for primary healthcare centres across Anambra State, and to require a costed revamp plan for every centre, beginning with Nnewi South I.

Problem Statement

Many primary healthcare centres across Anambra State operate without reliable staffing, essential medicines, basic equipment or power, forcing residents to travel further for care that should be available locally, a gap that is acute in the same communities this Bill's sponsor represents.

Legislative Objectives

• Establish statewide minimum standards for primary healthcare centre staffing, equipment, medicine supply and facility condition.
• Create a dedicated Primary Healthcare Revitalisation Fund, financed through the State capital budget, development-partner co-financing and relevant federal primary-healthcare programmes.
• Require a costed, published Revamp Plan for every primary healthcare centre in the State, sequenced by need.
• Designate Nnewi South I's primary healthcare centres as the first cohort for full revamp, informed by the approach to healthcare and education investment associated with Peter Obi's tenure as Governor of Anambra State.

Definitions

Primary Healthcare Centre

A publicly operated, first-point-of-care health facility below general-hospital level, providing maternal, child and basic outpatient health services.

Revamp Plan

A costed, published plan bringing a specific primary healthcare centre up to the statewide minimum standard, covering staffing, equipment, medicine supply, power and facility condition.

Proposed Provisions

1. 1.A statewide minimum standard for primary healthcare centre staffing, essential medicines, basic equipment and facility condition, published and reviewed periodically.
2. 2.Establishment of the Primary Healthcare Revitalisation Fund as a dedicated financing line, separate from general health-sector recurrent spending.
3. 3.A requirement that every primary healthcare centre in the State have a published Revamp Plan and a target completion date.
4. 4.Designation of Nnewi South I's primary healthcare centres as the first cohort for full revamp under this Bill, coordinated with the Power for Production Programme and the Digital Infrastructure Bill for electricity and connectivity.
5. 5.Coordination with the Good Employment Standard for health workers employed under the revamp programme.

Institutional Responsibilities

• Relevant Anambra State ministry of health to set and enforce statewide minimum standards and administer the Revitalisation Fund.
• Office of the Member representing Nnewi South I to oversee the first-cohort revamp of Nnewi South I's primary healthcare centres.
• Local government health authorities to support staffing and facility management.

Financing Implications

Financed through a dedicated capital-budget line, development-partner health financing (including relevant multilateral and federal primary-healthcare programmes) and, for Nnewi South I's first-cohort centres, constituency development funding.

Implementation Mechanism

2027: statewide primary healthcare centre condition assessment and publication of the minimum standard. 2028: Nnewi South I's primary healthcare centres revamped as the first cohort; statewide sequencing begins for the remaining centres.

Monitoring Mechanism

Tracked under a Health category of the Accountability Dashboard: centres assessed, centres revamped, staffing levels, essential-medicine availability.

Expected Outcomes

• Every primary healthcare centre in Nnewi South I brought up to a published minimum standard.
• A statewide sequencing plan replacing ad hoc, unpublished health-facility spending.
• Reduced travel distance for basic maternal, child and outpatient care.
• A financing mechanism for primary healthcare that survives beyond a single budget cycle.

Legal Considerations

This proposal is intended to operate within the legislative competence of the Anambra State House of Assembly and in conformity with applicable federal law, including the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Land Use Act, the Public Procurement Act and relevant sector legislation. Final drafting will be reviewed by legislative counsel prior to introduction.