BY VICTOR NWEGEDE
The Director, Development and Integrity Intervention Goal (DIG) Foundation, Oliver Aja Chima, has described the development workers, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as the life-wires of the health system in Nigeria.
Chima made this observation in a 3 day Ebonyi State Annual Accountability Forum at Monabliss Hotel in Abakaliki town.
Ebonyi State Annual Accountability Forum of Demand and Supply (Citizen – Government) Town Hall meeting on state of service delivery, with focus on primary healthcare, was organized by the Development and Integrity Intervention Goals Foundation, DIG, a Civil Society Organization, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development-funded Integrated Health Program, USAID-IHP.
But the Director while speaking on the objectives of the town hall meeting, explained that it was designed to offer opportunity to service providers to give account of their stewardship to the people in the society.
His words: "We noticed that there is a gap between the citizens and the people that provide these services, so, we have provided this platform through the support of IHP for them to give account of what they are doing especially in primary healthcare facilities: how is it going; how are they serving the people; are the people actually satisfied with their services?
“So, it is a platform of citizens, government, coming together to discuss issues around primary health. On the status of primary healthcare facilities in the State, Chima stated: You see, if you go some places, you will see fine buildings, but there are no human beings working there.
“And when you talk about quality healthcare services, you must bring in the human resource factor: the people that can take care of the sick ones. I have said it over time that if you remove development workers, remove Civil Society Organisations, our health system will collapse. If is very worrisome.”
In addition, the USAID-IHP Leadership and Governance Advisor, Mrs Chiunyere Ikwuakor, pinpointed that public accountability was not to be left for the government alone, as in her words, the citizens equally have some roles to play.
She noted that USAID – IHP, which came into the State in 2020, has made remarkable impact across the three senatorial zones of the State having been working in at least one primary healthcare facility in the 171 wards and thirteen local government areas in the State.
Ikwuakor emphasized that the forum was not a fault-finding meeting, but an avenue for the both sides to think together towards finding solutions to the problems of primary healthcare in Ebonyi state and the country at large.
Also, a Keynote Speaker at the event, Dr Emma Abah who made presentation on "exploring collaborative opportunities between government, citizens and CSOs for improved primary health care services in Ebonyi State," observed that several lives are in danger following the absence of qualified health workers in the various communities in the country.
He noted that the accountability forum was organized to hold the public servants and other relevant stakeholders responsible, adding that the meeting would equally avail the participants the opportunity to brainstorm way forward to tackle the challenges facing the primary health system in their areas.
Abah, who is the DIG Technical Adviser however, urged the public servants, development workers and CSOs, to always prioritize on health matters, to change the ugly narratives heralded about the health system especially the primary health system in Nigeria communities.
Participants who spoke at the event, including some officers in charge of healthcare facilities across the State, Ward development committee members, community leaders and civil society organizations identified gross inadequacy of qualified health workers, lack of power; lack of potable water supply, lack of toilet and other basic health equipments, as well as insecurity, as some of the factors militating against PHC services.
According to the Traditional Ruler of Ameka Autonomous Community in Ezza South Local Government Area of the state, HRH Eze Martin Nwali Oyibe, the long distance to the location of the health centre, regular absence of the health staff, lack of the basic equipment have contributed to the abandonment of the centre by his community people, who are now going to another community for health care and treatment.
One of the participants from Afikpo North, Hajiya Sadiah Hamsa, pointed out that, “the challenges we are facing in this country, not only in Ebonyi, is that people who are qualified and very eager to do the job are not taken, based on the fact that they have no influential person to speak for them.
“Using auxiliary staff, unqualified nurses, to run our primary healthcare facilities is a risk to our lives, and I think that if this program should achieve its desired goals, that is the first thing to be addressed. The government should look into that.”
Another participant, the Regent of Agalegu Ishieke Autonomous Community in Ebonyi Local government Area, Prince Paul Ajibo, submitted that his community ensures the security of both humans and materials sent to their primary health facilities, as part of their contributions in ensuring effectiveness.
Ajibo however, regretted that none of the two primary healthcare centres in his area have adequate facilities and manpower.
“The people have the desire, but the facilities are not encouraging. The government has tried a lot, but there is no sufficient staff to get it working. A situation where only one person or two will be in a facility is not good at all,” Ajibo said.
Our correspondent also reports that the Ebonyi State House of Assembly Committee Chairman on Health, Hon. Victor Aleke, has alleged that the present administration in the state has failed the citizens in terms of primary healthcare delivery while speaking on Thursday during a 3-day Accountability forum in Abakaliki, the state capital.
It could be recalled that the event was held from Thursday, 17th to Saturday 19th February, 2022 for the North, Central and South senatorial zones of the State respectively.
The event brought relevant government representatives and lawmakers face –to-face with primary healthcare workers, traditional rulers, community development committees, Civil society Organisations, the media and other key healthcare stakeholders, to render accounts of their stewardship and forge the way forward for better healthcare delivery in the State.
Speaking in his capacity as a law maker, Aleke faulted the development whereby some public office holders resort to sending representatives rather than facing the people by themselves to render accounts of their stewardship in such a forum.
He said that the government has failed to order its priorities right, thereby failing the people precisely, in the area of health not excluding himself as being part of the present administration in the state.
“I thank the IHP and the DIG for bringing to the consciousness of the people that the right thing should be done. If this was to be done in Abuja, and somebody is invited, the Commissioner will not send a representative.
“The commissioner would want to enjoy his air ticket and so on and so forth. But because it is being done at this level, somebody is sending someone else to represent him. I am not here to address political issues, but social services that an average Ebonyi man should have at his disposal. Aside other things, health should be provided to the people of Ebonyi, not building bridges on dry land; not fencing the so-called General Hospitals where there is no manpower, and no skilled medical workers in the field.
“I have a Primary health care centre in my village, and not even a single trained professional is there; yet, the Government has not been able to employ them for eight years. This Government has actually, in its entirety, failed Ebonyi people in issues relating to health. To partners who have actually brought their money, I want to ask them to continue with their goodwill. It will not continue to be this way.
“In a couple of months, Ebonyi will smile again. Put politics aside, we have not gotten it right because this is a forum where the Commissioner for Health should have addressed the community people; address our skilled workers at the field and the key gatekeepers at the different communities. The truth of the matter is that Ebonyi has failed in issues relating to health, and I am part of those who have actually failed," Aleke submitted.
However, the State Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development in the State, Mr Orlando Nweze, in an interview with journalists debunked the allegation that the government has failed.
The Commissioner, represented by the Director, planning in the Ministry, Mr Chijioke Ogbodo, maintained that the health sector was allotted the highest chunk of the state’s budget.
“For me, the government has not failed, knowing full well that Rome was not built in a day. If you go to our budget performance, health is even taking the highest chunk of the finance. For us in finance, it means that the government is pushing a lot to health development.
“But, peradventure, there are areas the government needs to do more, this is an avenue for them to tell us, and we will take it up from there,” Orlando said.
Meanwhile, updates of services were received from the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency (EBSHIA), the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, officers in-charge of Health Centres, Ward Development committees, among others at the town hall meeting.
