By Emeka Nwokocha
In continuation of routine monitoring of the ongoing Global Fund sponsored free malaria treatment in select local governments areas of Delta State, the ACOMIN Programme Officer for Delta State, Mr. Austine Uwede, on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 May, 2023, led the Delta State Advocacy Team (SAT) on a visit to Isoko North, and Sapele local government councils, seeking collaboration to engender better health care service delivery.
Uwede, while briefing the Executive Secretary, Primary Health Care (PHC) of Sapele local government council, Dr. Mercy Oghroro, on the progress being made on the free malaria treatment across the facilities offering the services in Sapele LGA, noted some challenges in the following facilities: Edegbrode, Adagbrassa, and Sapele Urban, stating the efforts being made by stakeholders to address them.
Uwede expressed displeasure at the continued delay in the distribution of the donated medical items/equipments stocked at the council warehouse, expressing fear that some of the items might have expired or would soon expire, a development he said would negate the purpose for which the items were donated. He urged the ES to do everything possible within her power to ensure the items are distributed without further delay.
Uwede also expressed worries about a health worker that abandoned her duties at Edegbrode PHC and requested the ES to do the needful, even as he demanded urgent actions towards addressing shortage of staff at Edegbrode facility.
He demanded better furniture for Adagbrassa facility, including an upgrade of the Pharmacy in Sapele Urban PHC to ensure better service delivery.
Continuing, he noted that Adagbrassa community had donated a plastic chair for the matron, stating that further efforts were being made by the community to procure a table for matron.
Responding to the issue of undistributed equipment, the ES, Dr. Oghroro said she had met with the Executive Chairman, Hon. Eugene Inoaghan, adding that she would continue in her good efforts to ensure the Chairman acts swiftly on the demand and facilitate distribution of the equipment to health facilities.
She informed the team about a recent and progressive development in the PHC, stating that the Delta State Oil Producing Development Commision (DESOPADEC) had donated more medical equipment for distribution to the PHCs in the LGA, promising that her office would make certain that some of the items are timely distributed to the PHCs according to their needs.
“With the advent of new funding from IMPACT to Delta state, there would be improvements in health care services delivery in Sapele LGA,” she stated.
On the issue of a health worker that abandoned her duty at Edegbrode PHC, Dr. Oghroro said that action had been taken, affirming that beginning from the month of May, her salary would be suspended, adding that some nurses had been posted to various facilities, including Edegbrode facility.
On the shattered state of the Pharmacy at the Sapele Urban PHC, Dr. Oghroro said that she had engaged the Council Chairman and he had promised that a new structure will be built to address the challenge.
She commended ACOMIN and the SAT for being tenacious in ensuring the free malaria treatment scheme runs without any hindrance. She pledged her support to the scheme.
In the same vein, the Delta State Programme Officer at ACOMIN, Mr. Austin Uwede, also led the SAT to Isoko North local government council, and briefed the representative of the Executive Secretary, PHC of the council, Pastor Atoyede Oyede on the progress being made in the ongoing free malaria treatment in select communities in Isoko North, including the challenges limiting optimal operations of the health facilities.
Uwede said, “In the course of executing the free malaria treatment programme in Isoko North, we have worked in the following communities: Aradhe, Ellu, Ovrode, Emevor, Oyede, and others. We are currently working in Iwride-Oyede and Otor-Owhe communities with commendable progress.”
Continuing, he said, “When there are issues posing challenges to the smooth running of the facilities, we speak to the local government authority and the communities where the facilities are cited and demand assistance in fixing the challenges in order to ensure that the health scheme runs seamlessly and its objectives achieved.”
He noted some of the support given to the health facilities by communities in recent times to include facilitating purchase of essential drugs in Ovrode community, and the donation of 30 plastic chairs to Emevor health facility by members of Emevor community to make health care delivery very effective.
Uwede, while stressing importance of unfettered collaboration among stakeholders towards the progress of the free malaria treatment programme, told Pastor Atoyede that the routine visit was partly to find out whether commendation letters had been presented by the council to Ovrode and Emevor communities in recognition of their contribution to the smooth running of the health facilities in their communities.
Stressing further, the challenges, Uwede said, “Isoko North council sometime fumigated the facility in Ovrode, and in the process opened some of the PVC ceilings of the facility which where not closed after the fumigation had been completed. He expressed concern, saying that when rain falls, more of the ceilings are blown out, and if the ceilings are not properly closed more ceilings would be blown away during rainfall.”
He noted, “The entrance to the Ovrode facility is broken, the doors are in bad shape, and no good bed and bedsheets.” He added, “The sumo pump of the water facility is also stolen, the facility is bushy, no gardener, no security guard, and no water.”
He also stated that the facility in Otor-Owhe does not have enough matrasses, bedsheets, pillows and curtains,” saying, “We have approached the community for assistance and an official letter has been written to that effect as demanded by the community.”
He said, “Water is not connected to the facility in Aradhe community, but there is water in the premises.”
Uwede, added, “The issues in Iwride-Oyede and Otor-Owhe facilities are new, and discussion on the issues has been ongoing with the ES, Dr. Demoted Stephen. In other words, our visit today is to get a feedback on the issues we reported to him.”
Responding, Pastor Oyede commended the SAT for its commitment in ensuring the ongoing free malaria treatment continues with any hindrance, saying that he would present the report to the ES and would make good effort to making sure the ES, and the Chairman of the council respond to the complaints outlined so as to putting the health facilities in good shape.
