Residents of Akwa Ibom have decried the poor state of facilities in most Primary Health Centres located across the 31 local councils of the state.
Though the state government has made tremendous efforts to revamp the Secondary Healthcare sector in the last six years of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s administration, operations at the primary health centres have largely been on the decline.
In addition to total absence or inadequate facilities, most of them are starved of personnel while residents have lost confidence in them resulting in very low patronage for most of them especially those in the rural areas.
A visit to some of these centres especially those in the rural areas by newsmen showed a state of disrepair as reptiles have taken over a good number of such centres, while some of its roofs are either leaking or completely pulled down.
Apart from the few active PHCs in Uyo, the state capital, most primary health centres in rural communities have been abandoned to the cleaners who merely sit to refer pregnant women to Traditional Birth Attendants.
At the Primary Health Centre Ikot Akata, Mkpat Enin, roof of the quarters for medical workers had long been removed by the wind, while the main centre has lost all its doors, windows and the main hall leaking heavily, there was no presence of any health worker as at time of visit..
At Ikot Iko, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Councils, the only government primary healthcare centre in the community was in ruins. Unfortunately, health care services in this community is relatively at a very low quality and inaccessible to majority of the people.
The Health centre along Wellington Bassey Way in Uyo appeared to be the most pateonized in the state as it has continued to witness influx of patients daily but the center is however under serious threat as it is bordered by a fast encroaching ravine while the unhealthy environment attracts legions of mosquitoes.
A visit to Primary Health Centre off Uruan street, also in Uyo showed that the centre is in dire need of help as it lacked the capacity to provide essential health-care services, in addition to issues such of poor distribution of health workers and essential drugs.
A senior health care worker at the centre who craved anonymity told our correspondent that patients stopped coming to the centre because of poor quality of health-care services, poor condition of infrastructure, and lack of essential drugs.
The state of the only Primary health Centre at Mbiabong community in Itu local government area of Akwa Ibom state is deplorable as newsmwn who visited the place reports that the Centre has not been renovated nor equipped with drugs for a long time amidst low patronage of patients
A staff who spoke on condition of anonymity described the place as a ‘glorified Centre’ with little or nothing to show for It as a medical Centre.
“There is nothing much taking place. The drugs are always in short supply and that is the situation we have found ourselves for a long time now. So, we prescribe for patients and ask them most at times to purchase from pharmacies outside. And talking in terms of renovation, you can see for yourself” the source said.
The story was however different when our correspondent visited some PHCs in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, while some were overgrown with weeds, a few others however had active presence of health workers.
One of the Health Centres in Ikot Ekpene admitted to have benefited from donor agencies and NGOs including Maria Stopes, Helen Kela, and Bill/Milanda Gate,
At the primary health centre at Ifa Ikot Okpon, Etoi in Uyo local government area of the state which has a Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA) home located opposite it, our correspondent observed heavy patronage of the TBA by pregnant women instead of the PHC.
When inquired about why the TBA was prefered against the PHC, one of the young women and mother of five children replied, “I am Mrs. Glory Peter. I have five children and four of them were delivered here. I love being here anytime because Mma is very nice and experienced in maternity services.
“If you ask all of us here, you will be surprised to hear everyone speaks good about this Mma. She is caring and pays serious attention to all of us during and after labour once you are here. Her fee is quiet affordable though varies according to personality of persons involved.
Our correspondent who later visited the PHC met a Nurse and few others on auxiliary services and administration, who complained that the facility’s electricity supply was disconnected due to non-payment of bills
