Special Report: No Staff, No Drug, No Ambulance: Inside the Rural Health Center in Abuja

One sunny afternoon in March, my bicycle man and I traveled to Chorin Boso, a curved rural community in Abuja, to visit the Main Health Care Center (PHC) serving villages in Chorin Boso. The road to PHC is terrible and rough, and further trips are exacerbated because the road is being built, which makes it difficult to pass. When crossing this rough road, this reporter suffered from back pain and body before reaching the main health care center.

When he reached Chorin Biso PHC, there were no community extension workers seen in PHC, and the facilities were left open. In PHC, there is infrastructure decay, the roof leaks, and the facilities do not have medical equipment.

This facility only has two environments and one consultation room. There are only three beds, but only two work. And there is no pharmacy. When it rains, the roof is leaking, and there is no pharmacy.

This facility has a drilling hole, but no longer works. It has been collected that the workers at the facility are now using water from water sellers. There is no electricity, there is no solar power, and if health workers want to do their job at night, they use torch lights and fans that can be refilled. Every time they receive complications, they usually refer patients to the Waru or Karshi General Hospital, which takes up to one to two hours because of the terrible road. This facility does not have basic medical equipment such as bandages, gloves, oxygen, and protective equipment they are using today is what is provided during COVID-19.

This facility is in dire need of total renovation, electricity supply, solar power or generators to assist staff in their work, and the drilling hole needs to be improved. The Abuja City Area Council only employs one main health worker in PHC, while two other health workers are volunteers.

A newborn baby coughing uncontrollably in the hands of Joy Danjuma, a resident of Chorin Boso who tried to breastfeed his baby. When this reporter approached him, he complained bitterly that there was no cure for babies in the facility. In an emergency case, there is no ambulance to transport patients to a public hospital in Waru or Karshi, which requires one to two hours to reach on a terrible road using a motorcycle.

The absence of functional ambulances in PHCS is a serious problem that needs to be handled by the government. Of the 10 PHCs visited by this reporter, only the PHC is located inside the barracks that holds 7 guard battalions has a functional ambulance and sufficient bed space and medical facilities to accommodate patients.

At Gishiri Primary Healthcare Center, although the facility is about 10 minutes from the main road, the road to the facility is terrible and even worse during the rainy season. The health care center is too small due to lack of space. During immunization, women usually fill facilities, which means there is no privacy, and some patients usually leave after feeling stranded and frustrated due to lack of space.

Despite the small PHC size, he did HIV and hepatitis tests. The hospital does not have an environment, there is no consultation room, the shipping bed is damaged, and the waiting room is used as an office for responsible health workers. There is no pharmacy in the facility, and no renovations have been carried out since it was built. The only renovation carried out was by the embassy of Christ, the church which was attended by public health workers. Equipment used in hospitals is donated when the health workers responsible for going to family planning training.

In GBAGALAPE PHC, Ladi Okewu, a resident of GBAGALAPE, lamented in the absence of health workers at the facility during the critical period. He stated that there is a need for health workers to be present throughout the afternoon and night in the event of an emergency.

“We need an active health worker in the facility. Even in the afternoon, if there is an emergency involving a pregnant woman who will give birth, they must call health workers before they come, even if it is urgent. If the person is in critical condition, that is how patients will die. If there are complications, they usually refer patients to the Nyanya General Hospital,” he said.

Weight expert

Lawal Jamiu, a public health analyst, stated that the lack of ambulances and inadequate facilities at the health care center had serious health implications. These problems critically delay emergency referrals and cause pregnant women to experience complications and torturous childbirth, he added.

He noted that this delay could be fatal and could cause long -term disability. In the absence of an ambulance, which functions as an emergency transportation system, it contributes significantly to high maternal mortality loads.

“Lack of ambulances and medical equipment that sufficiently affect patients with chronic conditions, especially elderly patients, and those who have strokes, diabetes, and hypertension. They are very affected because functional referral systems require timely evacuation, which is almost impossible without ambulances, especially in areas that are difficult to reach.

“Lack of bed capacity is a recurring problem that has been experienced by patients for a while in some of these PHCs. This mainly affects the dignity and comfort of patients, and clinical results can be compromised. Imagine a sick patient treated on the floor. A woman who gives birth may be forced to give a bench, which increases the risk of infection and violates the basic standards of basic standards.

He, however, noted that the combined effect of this deficiency was that it increased the out-of-pocket cost, violating one of the affection of PHC and usually forced the patient’s family to rent private transportation when referred to secondary or tertiary hospitals.

He added that it was a secondary and tertiary hospital overburdens because when patients knew there were no beds or equipment in PHC, they went straight to this higher level facility, which then became overwhelmed.

“This delays treatment and causes death that can be avoided. Patients are not given a worthy dignity at PHC,” he complained.

By: Abdulrasheed Hammad

This story is produced for frontline investigation programs and is supported by African data hubs and Orodata science.

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