Community where residents use herbs because PHC lacks workers

Maigiginya PHC, does not have a single health worker There are some villages in Kaduna State that lack both primary and secondary health facilities. This  makes residents travel long distances to areas with such facilities while those who cannot afford to travel, resort to self medication, use herbal mixtures or  patronize quacks. Daily Trust had […]

Maigiginya PHC, does not have a single health worker

There are some villages in Kaduna State that lack both primary and secondary health facilities. This  makes residents travel long distances to areas with such facilities while those who cannot afford to travel, resort to self medication, use herbal mixtures or  patronize quacks.

Daily Trust had earlier reported about villages in dire need of health facilities such as Kurmin Kaduna in Igabi Local Government Area; Jankasa, a community that lies between Kajuru and Chikun Local Government Areas and Kakura also in Chikun Local Government Area, among others.

The story of Maigiginya village under Rigasa ward in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State is slightly different because while it has a primary health care centre, the centre is non-functional because it lacks workers to attend to the health needs of the people.

Maigiginya is not too far from Rigasa Railway Station in Kaduna, hence, the need for a functional health facility in case of any emergency.

According to residents of the area, they have been forced to patronize traditional doctors for herbs since the health facility in the area does not serve the purpose for which it was built.

Malam Isa Idris who resides in the village told our reporter that the PHC was built about four years ago and was abandoned few days after it was commissioned. 

“The PHC was built and a male nurse was stationed there but few days after the commissioning, he left and never returned, the health centre has remained empty since then.

“Our women usually trek long distances to neighbouring communities for ante- natal and child delivery,” he said.

He appealed to the state government to come to their aid by posting health workers to man the centre.

Because the facility was locked up, our reporter could not gain access to see the state of equipment inside, but from the outside, the facility is still intact. The reporter observed that the building of Maigiginya PHC is still new and needs health workers to man it than renovation.

While the facility remains locked, traditional herbs sellers were observed making brisk business in the community.

A resident of the community who gave her name as Hadiza said they don’t usually find it easy travelling long distances to access health care especially when the sick person was very weak. 

“Most times, we just buy herbs to treat the sick among us while some pregnant women also give birth at home. But if the pregnant woman is strong enough to go to the hospital, then we assist her to get to the hospital. However, the best thing for us is for the primary health care centre here to function, it will save a lot of lives,” she said.

Kaduna State is one of the states with high rate of maternal and infant mortality in the country but as part of efforts to ensure that the people of the state access quality health care services close to them, Governor Nasir el-Rufai has commenced the expansion and renovation of 255 PHCs across the 23 local government areas of the state.

The state Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Manya Dogo could not be reached as at the time of filing this report but he mentioned in an event recently that all the contracts agreements for the renovation and expansion of the 255 PHCs have been signed by both contractors and the client.

He noted that PHC Kakau has been successfully completed and handed over to the client. PHC Ungwar Haladu in Birnin Gwari LGA has also been completed.

According to him, four sites including, Kargi-Kubau, Yakawada, Ungwar Nungu-Sanga and Fanhauya-Giwa have been completed and ready for handing over. Two sites including PHC Hunkuyi and PHC Kauran Wali are 89 per cent completed while the sites in Giwa and Kudan LGAs are 78 per cent completed.

On human resources for health, Dr. Dogo said the civil service commission is handling the approval given by Governor el-Rufai for recruitment; saying applications were being processed, aptitude test and interviews would be conducted thereafter.

 “We are recruiting among others, 1,000 nurses, 20 consultants, 50 medical officers, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians and physiotherapists. Also our health institutions are working hard to raise their accreditation status,” he said.