By Chidimma Okoye
Social and Integral Development Centre (SIDEC), partners JDPC and CRC in Awka, to track and analyze PHC level budget releases and expenditures on Health.
In her speech, the Chief Executive Officer SIDEC, Mrs. Ugochi Ehiahuruike said that the Donor Agencies, Federal, State, and Local Government levels invest a lot of money in the Primary Health Centers (PHC) to ensure that there is maximum health services to patients and increase in patronage from the Society.
She urged the people to step up and take ownership of government property in their various communities by protecting them and making them their personal business to ensure accountability and positive results.
Mr. Okechukwu Onyeka of the Civil Rights Concern said that the summary of the essence of the gathering is to have a score card of the way things are moving on in the PHCs, challenges and proposed solution.
He said that according to statistics, that PHCs in Anambra State have over 70% of medical equipment at their health facilities but are not in use, either because the health workers there do not know how to use them or that they are not the pressing need of some facilities at the time because their need varies according to community or area of location and as such, some of those equipment are allowed to remain in cartons and some rust away.
Mr. Onyeka, however, advised that equipment supplies by the Government be made to facilities according to need so that they are put into use for effective and efficient medical services at the grassroots.
He enjoined Community PGs to ask for assistance from the philanthropists in the home and Diaspora to partner with them to provide some of the health need of their communities.
Dr. Kate Obiorji, Woman leader of Akpu Community cited the unavailability of medical doctors at PHCs as one of the major reasons of low patronage at the facilities.
She stressed the need for every pregnant woman to register for ante-natal services within four weeks of gestational stage to ensure proper care of mother and child which will protect the foetus from birth defects.
She called on relevant stakeholders to sensitize women during church and village meetings on the need for early ante-natal and the importance of utilizing government facilities which includes availability of qualified Nurses and Midwives.
The President General of Nawgu, Mr. Frank Nwaegwu said that the free medical outreach he previously organized in his community gave him an exposure to the areas of medical need of the people of Nawgu.
He lamented that the office of the Ward Development Committees (WDC) have been politicized in some communities leading to a gang-up between them and officers in charge (OIC) of PHCs in order to cover up their flaws.
Mr. Nwaegwu observed that some of the OICs of those facilities do not have the necessary work experience to man those health centers and things keep falling apart.
He called on Ministry of Health and other relevant bodies to train and retrain health workers for best result.
The Vice President General (VPG) of Obosi, Chief Ikenna Jibike in his discussion suggested increment in the remuneration of nurses and doctors with better job welfare strategies, so that they stop leaving the country but stay back to help improve Nigeria health sector.
He said that PHC’S need should be categorised into rural and urban location need to be able to address them effectively.
It was an interactive section where PGs and women leaders of various communities in Anambra State, including the PG of Umunankwo, Mr. Augustine Aniegbuna, PG of Awah, Dr. Raymond Offor and others. They all said the difficulties and challenges in PHCs of their Communities.
Amongst the other challenges listed were lack of staff and in some cases quakery practice as cleaners are upgraded to health workers without necessary qualifications, lack of security at the entrance and exit of the health facilities, dirtiness of health facility environment, upgrade of defaced and dilapidated rural PHCs.
Chidinma is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
