As the officer in charge of the Sabo Primary Health Centre, Matron Akande Akinlabi has witnessed firsthand the transformation of the facility she has served so diligently for years. However, the joy of the recent renovation has turned into a disturbing reality.
“This renovation is good and I feel commendable, however, I think the government should look at the current status and help intervene to ensure better health service delivery,” he said, fanning himself with a piece of paper.
Peeling walls inside the dorm head’s office
The Sabo Health Center was inaugurated in 2004 by the then governor of Oyo State, Adewolu Ladoja. The center was intended to serve estimated 5,000 residents in Sabo community. The health center had been in a state of disrepair for years until 2021, when N22.5 million was allocated for the renovation and expansion of the health center. The project was aimed at improving healthcare services for the local community.
Inside the health clinic
The project, which began in 2021 and was completed in 2022, included the addition of a pharmacy, a borehole and a maternity ward, among other facilities. However, less than a year after its completion, the quality of the work has come under scrutiny as staff and community members have grown concerned about the quality of the renovations, with a number of issues emerging less than a year after the project was completed.
During a recent UDEME visit to the health center, glaring deficiencies were evident. Peeling paint on the walls and a ceiling fan that was not working properly were some of the most glaring issues, raising doubts about the quality of the materials used and the overall execution of the project.
Ms Akinlabi, the officer in charge of the health centre, expressed mixed feelings as she questioned the quality of work done. “There have been improvements. We used to have one ward for male and female patients, but now we have separate rooms for each. However, the quality of the renovation is questionable. Peeling walls and broken fans are a concern. We expected better quality work considering the amount allocated for the project,” she said.
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Salisu Mikhail, who introduced himself as the Chair of the Ward Development Committee of the health center, raised issues with the building’s exterior.
Section of the fence of the newly built health clinic
“The fence and roof tiles of the health center are part of the renovation. However, the peeling walls make us question the quality of the materials used. In less than a year, we have seen this problem,” he said, pointing to the peeling fence wall at the back of the clinic.
Ms Akinlabi also addressed the issue of non-functioning fans. “We had a ceiling fan before the renovation, but a standing fan was provided after. The fan stopped working after a few months. Despite having it repaired several times, we eventually had to pack it up and store it because it could not be repaired,” she said.
Jahman Bawa, a regular visitor to the health center, shared his experience: “The renovation is good, and I often come here for treatment. However, the waiting room is not comfortable without a fan, especially in hot weather like this. It would be better if there was a fan here,” he said.
Corroborating this, Isah Muhammad, a patient who had just recovered, said he left his bed to sit in the reception area because the air in the room was hot.
“My condition is improving and I have to leave my bed in the ward to sit here and get some fresh air. I was unconscious when I was brought here, but now my condition is improving,” Mr. Isah said.
Abandoned fan dumped in shop after repair attempts fail
Speaking to UDEME, Lawal Adetayo, a civil engineer, explained that peeling walls could be caused by moisture infiltration, commonly known as seepage. “When renovating, you should test the structural integrity before starting work. The moisture, or seepage, could be coming from the ground. A damp proof membrane (DPM) should be used during construction to prevent this,” he said.
Adetayo, while outlining other possible causes, said looking at the pictures of the building, it can be concluded that what was done at the health center was ‘repainting’. “The problem can arise from the plastering stage as well, where the previous plaster was not cleaned properly before re-applying. The surface must be rough and dry before painting. Also, painting in the rain or improper mixing of the paint can also cause peeling. It appears that emulsion paint was used here, and if too much water is added, it can cause this problem. Proper renovation is needed to fix this, or the paint will continue to peel.”
Attempts to contact Senator Yaro Anthony Siyako, who facilitated the project, proved abortive as calls went unanswered and emails went unresponsive.
Speaking during a visit to his office, UCH Public Relations Officer (PRO) Obafunmilayo Enitan said the University Hospital, which is the supervisory body for the project, could not reveal much about the project.
“We don’t have much information about the project in Sabo because we handed it over as soon as the project was awarded to the contractor,” he said.
When contacted, Ochem Vivian, a project supervisor with Limited Technique DominanceThe contractor in charge of carrying out the project, confirmed that the environment was the cause of the peeling of the wall.
“Sabo is not the only place we have dealt with, and we have not received any calls from other places. The cause is the foundation and all we did was renovation. We did not do any foundations where we could have put a damp-proof membrane to prevent it,” said Ms Vivian.
When asked about the fan not working properly, he blamed the health center staff for what he described as “careless use.”
“It’s the same fan we supply to other places we work and it works perfectly. The fan capacitor is as normal and that’s because of the way they use it,” he said.
“I’ve been there before at night and they leave it on when there’s no lights, I have to turn it off when they turn the lights on. You can’t use a fan like that and expect it not to break.
One of the fans in Matron’s office, is not working
However, when asked, Sabo Health Center staff insisted that the fan stopped working several months after it was brought in.
“We tried to fix it with our own money several times and gave up when it didn’t work,” said Ms Akinlabi.
By Olanshile Ogunrinu
This story was supported by funding from the Center for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
FEATURE post: Staff, patients complain as newly renovated Oyo health centre deteriorates rapidly appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.
