INTRODUCTION
Local government is an organ of the state put into the peddle the development activities of a particular place or district, with a view to making the impact of governance be it political or military being felt at the grass root level. It is seen as the “management of community affairs by the people of a locality.
In the worlds of Ogunna 1996, local government is form of devolution of the political powers of the state. It is seen as the political authority purposely created by law or constitution to manage local public affairs within the rural communities
According to Oyediran, et al 2001” it is local government in which popular participation both in the choice of decision maker and in decision making process is conducted by local bodies which while recognizing the supremacy of the central government is able and willing to accept the responsibilities for it decision .
The guidelines of the local government reform in 1976 defined local government as government at local level exercise through representatives established by law to exercise specific power within the defined area.
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
In this chapter intended to examine the role of local government in the provision of Idemili North local government area of Anambra state the following health care service have been provided by the local government to improve the rural dwellers standard of living, these include immunization of little children against polio, building of maternity home, provision dispensation and clinic. All these helped to the increase in the living standard of the community.
According to Ogunna (1996) and (1976) reform clearly mapped out the function of local government.
The category of function included health services such as health centers maternity centers and ambulance service. The federal government in an attempt to guarantee these functions for the construction of 1973 in the fourth schedule.
The expected ways of providing health care service by waste disposal creating awareness to appreciate the new to immunization themselves and their babies against killer diseases through the expanded programme on immunization (NPI) establishment of health centers in the rural communities employing quantified staff to manage the health centers. Their populate have always been neglected in this regards. The local authorities should rake aided step to retrace the situation.
The extent of the role of local government in the provision of health care service is predominantly determined the type of the programme being embarked upon the administration in the local government.
In carrying out this research work, it is important and imperative to answer some question about local government impact or role in the communities the questions include:-
1) Local government being a tier of government responsible for local needs, do they trained personnel that can properly administer this services?
2) What are the roles of local government in making sure that vacancies are properly administer to the people?
3) What efforts have been put in a pace to make sure that the people make themselves available to be trained?
4) In what way can local government make great impact of health care service to the rural dwellers?
The objective of this study thus:
This study is particularly important and it is believed it will create all the necessary awareness on the issue of health care service and then help health care supervisor in effective decision making. When the populace in well provided for goods and service to the nation.
1) Through the study more light will be thrown in order to make the meaning of health care service center neglected.
2) It will help workers to work out more effective and efficient ways of letting the public know their health problems and formulating and executing programmes that will help them solve health problem.
This research is actually to ascertain in the role of local government in the provision of health care service.
Thus, the research selected Idemili North local government area of Anambra state as where we could conveniently covered.
It is not really easy to complete such a research work without encountering some difficulties.
Regarding these ddifficulties, the ability to get hold of needed materials as well as official document is not made in public because of a closed system of information in Nigeria.
Therefore this research work is seriously limited to a few available materials.
1) Finance: Money is also some problem some times I will not have enough money to transport myself to all the areas in Idemili North district.
2) Bad road network: This is one of the factors that were encountered in the course of this study, some of the areas were not accessible due to bad roads linking one village and the other.
3) Time constraints: is one of the problems and limitations that have prevented us from making extensive research for facts because the time given for this work has been too short considering the detailed and challenging nature of the work, but irrespective of the above limitations this research work has been completed with the materials available within the limited time.
Some of the words used by the research in the study have been defined to enhance easy understanding of the research work such words includes:
IMMUNIZATION: To make somebody free from disease.
PRESCRIBE: Advice or order the use of drugs by a physician
PHYSICIAN: A person qualified to practice both medicine and surgery
POPULACE: The common people, the general public, the masses
JURISDICTION: Extent of legal authority to administer rights
LAXITY: Being negligent, initiating not strict or sever.
SUBJECT: Any member of state except the supreme ruler.
HEALTH: condition or state of ones body environment or the mind.
1.9 Organization of the Study
This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows. Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (background of the study), statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research questions, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope of the study etc. Chapter two being the review of the related literature presents the theoretical framework, conceptual framework and other areas concerning the subject matter. Chapter three is a research methodology covers deals on the research design and methods adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding. Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study