HFDI ENGAGES KWARA HEALTH WORKERS, COMMUNITY GROUPS ON REFERRAL PATHWAY FOR BETTER HEALTHCARE ACCESS
By Abisola Ariwodola,
Hope for Family Development Initiative, HFDI, on Tuesday engaged healthcare workers and community-based structures in Moro Local Government Area to strengthen the established referral pathway for integrated service delivery at Elemere Primary Health Centre, PHC.
The sensitization meeting, held at Elemere PHC, brought together 23 participants including service providers, and community representatives.
The session aimed to assess, access and utilization of integrated health services by community members through the referral system, and to deepen collaboration between the health facility and community structures.
Opening the meeting, a community representative welcomed participants and commended efforts to improve access to integrated health services at the grassroots.
The HFDI representative led discussions on progress made since the referral pathway was established and sought feedback from participants on improvements recorded.
The Officer-in-Charge, OIC, of Elemere PHC reported a significant rise in client turnout since the referral system became active. According to the OIC, more community members are now accessing integrated services, particularly family planning.
To support the increased demand, Hope for Family Development Initiative HFDI provided hard copies of additional referral forms to the facility. The OIC also presented the facility’s referral register, which was reviewed, photographed, and documented by HFDI for monitoring and reporting.
A representative of the community-based structures said the referral system has “greatly benefited community members by improving access to essential health services.”
She added that participants of previous engagements have used community platforms to create awareness and encourage residents to use integrated services at the PHC.
The meeting had the participants shared experiences and made recommendations to sustain the referral pathway and boost service uptake.
HFDI said the engagement is part of Milestone 4 activities under its integrated health program, aimed at ensuring seamless referrals, reducing missed treatment opportunities, and promoting community ownership of health interventions in Kwara State.
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