Prof. Augustine Umoh, Hon. Commissioner for Health, Akwa Ibom State.(Credit: Facebook)
By Itoro Bassey
Some months ago, a young woman, Mmedara Essien (not real name) gave birth to a baby at the Primary Health Center, PHC, along Wellington Bassey Way, near the Akwa Ibom State Governor’s office in Uyo.
It happened in the early hours of Wednesday, January 13, 2021, after Mmedara went into labour in her home. Mmedara and her husband arrived at the health center, where she had earlier registered for prenatal care, into the cold darkness which covered the entire hospital complex.
But the nurses on duty managed to deliver the baby with the help of an illumination provided by a small mobile phone flashlight, ushering into the world a healthy baby boy. Three other babies were delivered in the same condition that night.
Between January and June this year, this reporter has visited the health centre from time to time. As of Saturday, July 10, 2021, when this reporter visited again, it was discovered that the situation has remained unchanged: the nurses there still use phone flashlight, together with a manual lantern, to attend to mothers who still patronize the facility
How do nurses make use of the available lights? A nurse on duty, on Saturday, told this reporter that while a lantern, usually positioned at a corner of the small labour room, supply a faint illumination to the entire room, the birth attendant would hold tight the phone between her lips pointing the light at the birth direction as work was ongoing.
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The sorry situation at the Primary Health Center, Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo, brings to light the plight of nurses and workers in this health centre that is just a stone throw to the Hilltop Mansion, the Akwa Ibom State Government House.
While most private hospital establishments in the state bridge the power supply-demand gap with the help of large, diesel-run power generators, the government institutions, especially primary health centres, would appear to remain prey to mismanagement and apathy.
“As you can see, this Health Center is very close to the Governor’s office. But it is not connected to the public power supply”, a nurse who would not want to be named because she was not authorized to speak on the state of the hospital, told this reporter on Saturday evening.
“Every night, we battle with mosquitoes as we help to deliver babies. A new patient would sometimes be teary and frightened, but we do our best to make the place welcoming even though we have no light to work with”, she said.
Restoration of water supply at the health centre with provision of new pumps, accessories and overhead tanks and replacement of broken water pipes is one one of the achievements recorded for the current Chairman of Uyo Local Government Area, Mr Uwemedimoh Udo, within his first 100 days in office.
But the nurse who spoke with this reporter said the small-sized power generating set at the health centre is only used for pumping of water for daily usage.
She would not know why the health centre has not been connected to the public power supply system, explaining that the head of the hospital may be able to supply answers.
Primary Health Centre, Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo, is not alone in the rot ravaging some primary healthcare institutions in Akwa Ibom State. The tale of Primary Health Centre, Uruk Uso, Ikot Ekpene, is that of a pathetic situation which also calls for concern.
Uruk Uso primary health centre was constructed as a Constituency Project by Rt. Hon. Nsikak Ekong when he served as member representing Ikot Ekpene State Constituency in the state house of assembly from 2003 to 2011.
One of the women leaders in Uruk Uso, who did not want her name mentioned for fear of being attacked, said the construction of the health center was necessitated by the women who requested for assistance to build a hospital where pregnant women could give birth easily.
Since the health centre was constructed, the place has been abandoned, while thieves are said to have carted away about 75 per cent of medical equipment installed there.
As it stands, both the state government and the lawmaker who facilitated the construction of the health center seem to have no interest in the place.
Speaking also, a village council member who preferred anonymity, said the Uruk Uso Village council had written several times to the Primary Health Coordinator for the place to be taken over by government, yet only a few nurses were sent there to immunize children.
He said: “As a way of protecting the facility and keeping the place clean, we mobilised some young men in the community to work there and we wrote to the local government chairman several times requesting that they should be employed as casual labourers, but our requests were turned down.
“In the end, those young men got angry and left the place. It is the village council that replaced some of those facilities like tables, plastic chairs and parts of the roof were damaged.
“If that project is taken over and completed by the government, I am sure access road to the health centre will be constructed.
“Completing and taking over the health facility will help address emergency health matters within the community, for instance, accident cases and emergencies associated with pregnancy.”
