NGO Carpet Govt on State of Primary Health Care In Nigeria

A non governmental organization (NGO) under aegis of Follow The Money in partnership with COVID-19 Transparency and Accountability Project (CTAP) has blame Government for poor state of Primary Health Care (PHC) centres in communities across the country.The representative of the group, Ms Johnny Ebimobo-Ere Bella disclosed this at a town hall meeting in Azagba Ogwashi in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta state organized by Follow The Money, saying, that the time has come for citizens to hold Government accountable for the ill-equipped of PHC in their communities.Ms Bella said, a large percentage of Nigeria’s vulnerables depends on primary health care, adding 80 percent of the 30,000 primary health care centers (PHCs) established across communities in Nigeria, lack the capacity to provide essential healthcare services.“Our findings in Azagba Ogwashi health care centre proved that all is not well with our health care centres, no clean water, under staffed and without COVID-19 vaccine administration. To make matter worse, like I was told by one of the patient of Azagba PHC, who refused to give her name, she said that during delivery, phone is used as source of light.""According to guardline of National Primary Healthcare Development Agency and in line with world standard requirement for PHCs, the following minimum standard must be met; functional separate toilet for male and female in the facility, availability of clean water supply within the PHC facility, connection to power grid and other regular alternative power source, delivery room, in-patient ward section, maternity lying-in-section, six Junior Community Health Extension Workers (JCHEW).""Other are, two health attendant assistant, four Nurse and Midwives, Detached building of at least 13 rooms, one pharmacy technician, one community health officer and one medical officer."The CTAP representative further added that, until the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) and its leadership, starts identifying the challenges facing PHC facilities across the country, the PHC can’t provide effective healthcare services.Speaking at the town hall meeting, the Diokpa of Azagba Ogwashi, Chief Patrick Sunday Onyeahazia, said for the past 20 years, the healthcare centre in Azagba has remained unattended to, adding that "there is no improvement, no drugs, no light, we want government to come and fixed it." Mr. Isaac Okafor said, he was very disappointed that government have abandoned their community. "Even when the building  being used for healthcare centre was built by the community, the government can’t equipped the place so that they can  provide essential healthcare services to the people.One of the representative from the Azagba Ogwashi healthcare centre, Ogbe Aghogho who spoke at the town hall meeting, said that they have two working staff and six casuals, (the one midwife, one recorder and six casuals.)She further added that, since 2018, "the six casuals have been working as casual, after graduating from Schools of Nursing and our take home is N20,000 monthly only, however this has affect the productivity."