Without water, Nigerians Primary Health Care Centres struggle to fight the coronavirus pandemic
IMO, NIGERIA — Primary Health Care is powerful in reducing health inequalities and must be strengthened and structured as one of the main sector responses to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Five months into the pandemic, how have Primary Health Care Centers and their health workers been strengthened in Nigeria? After the first case of Covid-19 was announced in Nigeria on February 28 2020, many people couldn’t access health services as much as they used to. Most secondary and tertiary hospitals had begun to use teleconsultations.
Many questions arise from this. What is the fate of those in rural communities? What were they doing? Will immunization be affected? Are health workers in primary healthcare centres prepared and properly equipped?
I visited two health centres in Imo state South-East Nigeria Osina Health Center and Maternal and Child Health Center Uruala. It was a Thursday morning, so many women had come to the health centre to get their babies immunized. I noticed that some of them had their facemasks on and the others didn’t. A community developer who came along with me had to distribute some face masks to the rest of the women who had none.
The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), with support from WHO, had put measures in place to ensure that no eligible person misses routine immunization in the country.
Several guidelines and materials have been developed to guide the conduct of immunization and other primary health care services at relevant facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Dr Faisal Shuaib, Director General of the NPHCDA
Half a bucket of water was placed in front of the health centre at Uruala. When I asked how they got the water, this was the response: “We buy water every day as we don’t have water in the local government area”, said Onuorah a health worker in charge of Immunization.
Angela, another health worker and midwife at Osina Health Center said they have to depend on rainwater which pours into a tank properly positioned outside to save water. “When there’s no rain we buy water”, she said.
Water is very essential at health facilities but these centres go the extra mile to get something as basic as water. It makes you wonder what other basic amenities required for healthcare do they lack?
“Ahh we don’t have a toilet here o, I’ve trained myself not to be in the need of convenience at the health centre. I use the bush when I want to ease myself, even the patients too, there are no lights here and we are understaffed, we have 51 health workers in 21 health centres in this Ideato North local government Area,” Onuorah says.
For Angela, there is only a pit available at the Center where she throws in the placenta after delivery. “When the women want to ease themselves I give them a bucket to use, then I carry it out and empty it, I don’t even have delivery kits, my gloves have finished I buy my cloth face mask myself as I haven’t received any”, she says.
They were two women at the health centre in Osina, they care for the people, clean the place themselves, weed the environment, deliver babies almost without complete delivery kit and no baby cots keep the babies.
The Executive Secretary Imo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency Dr Perry Njoku said Needs Assessment had been done and plans are ongoing to strengthen Primary Health Centers in the state.
Primary Healthcare centres can play a huge role in fighting Covid-19 but when there’s no access to safe and clean water nor PPE. Hand hygiene and safety becomes a huge difficulty.
